Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
by Cybertoy00
Summary: A direct novelization of the game. Laharl wants to be the Overlord of demons, and will do anything to do it. However, many other forces have their own plans for the Netherworld... Can Laharl beat everyone else for the throne? Some swearing.
1. Prince of the Netherworld

Hello! This is, in all honesty, a novelization of the strategy-based role-playing game, Disgaea: Hour of Darkness. I played the game a few weeks ago, just finishing it. While, I admit, it's a bit hard and time-consuming, it had some of the funniest quotes comparable to games like Banjo-Kazooie. So, I've decided to write a story based on those quotes! Like I said, it's the game of Disgaea in novel form. Sit back, have fun, and read and review! Oh, and Disgaea is owned by Nippon-Ichi!

DISGAEA

Hour of Darkness

_King Krichevskoy, the mighty ruler of the Netherworld…_

_His long reign came to an abrupt as the news of his death spread throughout the dark land._

_Ambitious demons rose one after another to seize the opportunity, and thus began the age of turbulence and anarchy._

_Two years later…_

The Overlord's Castle, where King Krichevskoy once reigned…

Etna, a young demon girl, stood over an open casket with a look immense dislike on her face. In the casket was a small boy, about a head shorter than here, whose most distinctive features were his oversized red scarf, and dual cowlicks, resembling bug antenna. This small child wasn't dead, no sir. But that was the problem!

Sighing, Etna picked up a broad sword she bought at the Rosen Queen Company Netherworld Branch today, and raised it above her head.

"Prince…" She said softly, and swung the blade down onto the boy!

CLANG!

The sword broke on his neck. Disgusted, Etna tossed the sword aside and grabbed the handle of a nearby ball-and-chain. Swinging it around, she smashed the spiked ball right on top of the child!

No effect.

Ditching the wrecker, Etna aimed a gattling gun at the child.

"Prince, wake up." She said again, firing repeatedly. When the prince showed no signs of damage, she jammed a giant power drill into him, causing sparks to fly until a gear jammed and it broke.

"This brat just won't wake up," She grumbled, tossing the tool aside. "Well, if that's the case, there's only one thing left to do…"

Etna whipped out a gun and took aim. Hers was an Ion 9K Samurai, a pistol that shot out small, but deadly, bursts of concentrated light. It might kill someone, but since nothing else had worked on the prince…

"What fool dares awaken me, the great Laharl?" A moody voice drifted up from the casket.

Etna stood shell-shocked as Laharl stood up. He glared at her. Etna realized she still had her Samurai out and quickly put it away.

"Prince!" She said hurriedly, "I'm glad you're still alive."

Laharl yawned, shaking his head. "Who said I was dead?" he asked grumpily. Damn, his head hurt! "I was just taking a nap. Anyways…" He looked over Etna's shoulder at all the weapons behind her, "Why are all those weapons behind you?"

Etna took a quick look over her shoulder at the weapons before looking back at the prince.

"Well, I was having a hard time waking you up…" She answered sheepishly.

"Are you sure you weren't trying to kill me instead?" Laharl asked suspiciously.

"No… Ah…" Etna flustered, "I mean, yes. I just wanted to wake you up." She smiled innocently, making herself seem even more untrustworthy.

Laharl decided to skip it. "Hmph, whatever." It wasn't worth getting upset about. It's not like someone like HER could kill him anyway… "So, what is it?" He asked, "You better have a good reason for waking me up."

"Oh, yeah," Etna straightened herself up, all serious-like. "Your father, King Krichevskoy, had died." She announced.

Laharl's eyes widened. "He what…!? When!?" he asked, shocked.

"Two years ago." Etna replied earnestly.

Laharl looked at the ground, blinking. "Wait a second," He looked back at Etna. "So…you're telling me I've been sleeping for over two _years?_"

"Yup."

"'Yup?!"" Laharl repeated, getting angry. "Why didn't you wake me earlier!?" He hated being left out of the loop!

Etna, however, wasn't cowed in the slightest. "Excuse me, but what do you think I've been doing?" She asked sarcastically, putting her hands behind her head casually. What did the little brat know, all he did was sleep! He didn't spend two years hard at work!

Deciding to let it go, Etna continued. "The Netherworld has gone to hell while you were sleeping," She explained, looking away, "It's not my fault if some other demon steals the title of Overlord."

"What…?" Laharl couldn't believe what he was hearing! "Have they forgotten whose title they are trying to steal!?" The prince becoming succeeding his father was the most basic factor of a monarchy! Who were these idiots, trying to subvert his divine right to rule!?

Wait…maybe this was a good thing. What better way to announce his comeback?

"Hmhmhm…" He chuckled, "How bold of them! I shall show no mercy…for I am Laharl, the rightful heir to the throne!" Laharl threw his head back and let loose a burst of what he thought was evil laughter. "Haaaahahahaha!"

Etna stepped forward and bowed. "Your humble vassal, Etna, will accompany you." she said, brandishing a spear.

Episode 1

Prince of the Netherworld

Not far from Laharl's room was the throne room. When Laharl had fallen asleep, it was packed to the brim with dozens of vassals and servants of his father. Now, there were only three; Manty the Mantacore, Goleck the Golem, and Dratti the Dragon. They were quite surprised to see him.

"Oh, well, looks like I wasted my time digging that grave for you." Dratti giggled, waving a shovel.

Laharl grabbed the shovel and broke the handle over his knee. "I'll put YOU in that grave instead!" He snarled, "Anyway, where'd everyone go?"

"All the royal vassals left the castle shortly after the king died." Goleck explained.

Laharl raised an eyebrow. "Even with me still around?" He asked.

"Well, you were sleeping," Etna put in, "They must have forgotten about you."

While Laharl grumbled, Manty said, "That's just like you, Prince, taking a two-year nap."

"I only planned on napping for about ten days…" Laharl muttered, "Hmm… Something's not right."

Etna looked away, whistling.

In the main hallway that connected all the rooms of the castle together, Laharl and Etna saw a few more faces; Gargo the Gargoyle, Ghoss the Ghost, and his father's talking spear, Longinus. They too, were quite surprised to see Laharl.

"Good morning, Prince," Ghoss greeted, getting over his initial shock, "How are you feeling?"

"Couldn't be worse," Laharl replied, grimacing, "My body feels really stiff from sleeping too much."

"Why don't you warm on the 'Tutorial Map'?"Etna suggested, "Go see the Dimensional Gatekeeper and she'll send you there."

"Why should I?" Laharl demanded. "What if I just wanna walk there?"

"In order to prevent intruders, I closed all the gates," Gargo explained, "Please talk to the Dimensional Gatekeeper if you'd like to leave the castle."

"Yeah, whatever…" Laharl muttered, looking at the floor, "You probably just didn't want to watch the gate."

Longinus sensed the Prince's annoyance. "Is there a problem, Prince?" He asked, "I, Longinus, am at your service."

Laharl looked at his father's old weapon and considered. He already had a sword, but… Nah. Having a talking weapon might get annoying.

"S'alright." He replied, and moved on.

Laharl and Etna entered the portal room, where the Dimensional Gatekeeper was. Along with the portal, the room also had a branch of the Rosen Queen Company, and the entrance to the Netherworld Hospital, as well as the Dark Council, one of the Netherworld's political bodies. At the corner was Zommie the Zombie.

"Eat, sleep, and do whatever you want all day…" the undead being sighed, "It's sooooo good to be a demon!"

"Have you ever thought of working for me?" Laharl asked, giving Zommie a mean look.

Unfortunately, this had no effect on the zombie whatsoever. "Hahahaha," he laughed, "Of course not."

Disgusted, Laharl marched over to the Dimensional Gatekeeper, Fiona. To his slight surprise, she was a healer, a fallen angel.

"I am the Dimensional Gatekeeper," She introduced, "I will input the coordinates for your desired destination, Prince, and you will instantly be transported there. Please select where you would like to go."

Laharl smirked. "Do you know where Tutorial Field is?" He asked. She nodded. "Good, send me there!"

Fiona muttered a strange incantation, gesturing at the dark blue swirl behind her. After a few minutes, she stepped aside, allowing Laharl and Etna to pass through.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Unlike the Overlord's Castle, Tutorial Field was a bright and sunny place, with grass and flowers. In a flash, Laharl and Etna appeared.

"Now, then…" Laharl said, pulling out his sword and stretching, "Time for a little warm-up. I feel a little rusty."

Etna pointed to the left of him. "Ah, Prince. We've got company… How convenient."

Laharl looked to where Etna was pointing and saw a small bunch of ghosts.

"Stray demons, huh…" He muttered. They were small fry, but he didn't really care. He just wanted to work out the kinks in his muscles. He stepped forward, sword raised, when Etna stuck out her arm, blocking him.

"Allow me, Prince," Etna said, "You may be a little out of practice after your long slumber."

When Laharl gave her a suspicious look, she said, "Don't worry, I came prepared!" She insisted, and whistled. "Come on, Prinny Squad!"

Nothing happened. The wind blew some leaves around.

"GET YOUR BUTTS OUT HERE, NOW!" Etna screamed, her eyes glowing red.

Almost immediately, a portal appeared, and a bunch of Prinnies- creatures that looked like penguins, but with peg-legs and little fanny packs- tumbled out. Satisfied, Etna turned to Laharl.

"So, Prince, whaddya think of this Prinny Squad I hired?" She asked, smiling cheekily, "They're my loyal servants: They'll do anything I say."

Laharl raised an eyebrow. Her 'loyal servants' were now performing riverdance.

"Are you sure about that?" He asked.

Etna clenched her fists. In a sudden movement, she rushed over an gave the Prinnies combined slap(Slap-slap-slap!). The Prinnies immediately stood at attention, saluting. Once again satisfied, Etna faced Laharl.

"See, they're loyal." Etna grinned.

Laharl felt uneasy. "Does it make sense to beat up your allies before a battle?" he asked, a little confused. Was pounding your troops for the enemy some hip new tactic? He gave a glance at the ghosts, who were staring at his party with bemused expressions. "Anyways, I think we've made those demons wait long enough already."

Etna blinked. She had almost forgotten about the ghosts! "Hey, you're right," She said, "How nice of them to be so patient."

Laharl shrugged. "Yeah, that's considerate of them," He commented, "To show my appreciation, I'll only beat them half to death."

"Oh, you're so kind," Etna preened, "If I were you, I'd beat them all the way to death."

Laharl blanched. "K-kind!?" He spat, sounding like he swallowed something foul, Stop that! That word gives me goose bumps!" He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, a murderous look in his eyes. "Dammit! I take it back! I'm gonna beat them all the way to death!"

Etna giggled. ("He's still a kid, so quick-tempered.") She gave her Prince an appraising look. ("It looks like carrying out my plan will be easier than I thought.")

Laharl glanced at Etna. "Hm? You say something?"

Etna gave him an innocent smile. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all. So, what are your orders, Prince?" She asked, looking at the ghost mob. Hmmm, they had a hobbit mixed in… "You do remember how to fight, right?"

"Of course!" Laharl smirked, and motioned for his party to attack the demon mob.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Later, Laharl's party re-entered the portal into the Overlord's Castle.

Laharl felt great. After two whole years of inactivity, being able to beat up random people for no reason at all was such a thrill.

Etna felt pretty good too. After spending two years trying to wake the Prince up, things were finally starting to move forward.

The Prinny Squad felt terrible. Etna told Laharl that Prinnies explode when tossed…and he wanted to see it for himself. Repeatedly.

Zommie saw how scuffed up Laharl's party was.

"Hey, Prince, have you gone to the hospital?" He called out to Laharl, "You should make sure you heal everybody after a battle."

"Treatment may not be free," One of the Prinny Squad spoke up, "But please heal us too, dood."

Laharl thought about it. While he and Etna were fine, he had to admit that the Prinnies could use a pick-me-up.

"Let's go," He decided, and the Prinnies gave a half-hearted cheer. They were bushed, dood.

Zommie, in an act of uncommon kindness, gave Laharl a 300 HL bill he found on the floor.

While the Prinny Squad while being healed, Laharl tried to convince Zommie to work for him instead of just hanging out. Zommie preferred to hang out, but Laharl persisted. So Zommie tried to change the subject.

"There is a new demon named Vyers who has been gaining strength." Zommie said.

"Never heard of him," Laharl replied, "Probably no one important." If it was someone Laharl had heard about before his two-year nap, he'd be worried, but some newbie? Who cares?

After the Prinnies finished healing, Laharl's party headed for the portal.

"I have added 'Vyers Castle' to the list of available areas," Fiona said, "It is fairly new, so I do not know much about it. However, it is rumored that a very able man lives there."

Etna looked at Laharl. "Hmmm… Whatcha gonna do, Prince?" She asked, "Should we take a peek?"

Laharl nodded, smiling evilly. "Definitely," He said smugly, "I'll slaughter the master of the castle as the 1st step to becoming Overlord!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Laharl and his group appeared outside the castle, at the 'Magnificent Gate'. Laharl scanned the guards on duty. Most of them were ghosts, with two hobbits, and…whoa! Two Red Skulls! Those were human-type demons with magic over fire. They could be trouble. But overall, it was mostly fodder. So what was making him nervous?

…Aha! An 'Enemy-Boost' geo panel and symbol!

Geo panels geographical features attuned to the elements of the universe. Crystlization of those elements created geo symbols. So, if you destroyed the symbols, the panels would lose their effect.

"Etna," He ordered, "You take out that geo panel, while me and Prinnies go ahead and take on the guards."

Etna grinned. "Sounds fine to me!"

"Okay, then," Laharl whipped out his sword and pointed. "Chaaaarge!"

"Yes, sir, dood!" the Prinny Squad cheered, and they rushed the gate. While they did, Etna headed towards the geo symbol and began to hit it with her spear. On her fifth strike, she shattered it, returning the guards to their normal strength in time for Laharl and the Prinny Squad to arrive. While a mad battle royal between the Prinny Squad and ghosts ensued, Laharl busied himself with the Red Skulls. He knew that while Skulls were skilled in magic, they had almost no physical strength.

Unfortunately, the Skulls knew that too, and moved as far away from him as possible. Once they were distant, they hit the Prince with a double-whammy of fire.

BLAM!

Meanwhile, Etna had begun to fight against the hobbits.

The Red Skulls looked at where they had blasted Laharl. There seemed to be no movement within the smoke…

"Blade Rush!"

Laharl shot out of the smoke and struck the Red Skulls down in an instant.

"You should just stay out of my way," Laharl said, looking down at his fallen foes. He glanced over to see that Etna and the Prinny Squad were done too. He waved them forward.

"Let's go!" He commanded.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"Hmmm… What was that noise just now? Do I have visitors?"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In the Blessed Court, Laharl's party looked around at the beautiful courtyard.

"Wow," Etna breathed, "This is a pretty nice place." Walking around, she saw something out of the corner of her eye. "Ah! That vase would sell for a lot."

Etna was about to rush over and grab the vase when Laharl stopped her.

"Fool! That would make us petty thieves," He snapped, "I can't disgrace the name of the Overlord. I have to be impartial and…" He trailed off, frowning.

Etna raised an eyebrow. "Impartial and…what?"

Laharl grew a big mean smile. "Plunder everything!" He boomed.

Etna smirked. "Ohh! That's our Prince!" She cheered, "You're so ruthless."

"Hey, there, you atrocious fiend!" The Prinny Squad cheered.

"You cold-blooded monster!" Etna preened.

"A demon among demons!" The Prinnies declared.

Laharl looked away, smirking. "Hmph… Quit complementing me so much… It's embarrassing me," He said. Getting serious, he barked, "Now, listen up! I want you to pillage and plunder anything and everything in this castle!"

"Aye aye, dood!" The Prinny Squad saluted.

Laharl threw his head back and began to laugh. "Haaaahahahaha!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"Well, now…that's a sound I thought I'd never hear again…"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

As Laharl's party battled their way through the Corridor of Love, Laharl wondered who the castle's master was. He must not be very powerful, as aside from the occasional demon warrior, most of the castle's guards were ghosts and hobbits.

Eventually, after beating up every guard and sticking every valuable into a sack (That seemed to be getting bigger and bigger) Laharl and company arrived at the castle's main room: Hall of Caresses.

Entering, Laharl looked around. "Hm? Is this the last room?" Was it empty? He couldn't see anyone!

"Haaahahahaha!"

They weren't alone!

"Who's there!?" Laharl demanded, grabbing his sword. Behind him, Etna and the Prinny Squad looked around.

"How rude, invading a man's house and asking him, 'Who's there?'" A light but masculine voice replied, "But, I give you credit for your bravery. Haaaaaaahhhh!!"

A figure dropped down from the ceiling. He was a tall, male demon, with long, flowing purple hair, dressed in leather.

"_Voila!_" The sassy demon announced.

Everyone stared at him.

"Forgive _moi,_" the sassy demon said, "I must leave you in awe. My name is Vyers. I am the lord of this castle."

"Vyers?" Etna asked thoughtfully, "Isn't he the demon that's been knocking off competition for the throne...?"

Vyers nodded, twisting a lock of his hair around his finger. "_Oui_. That is correct, _mademoiselle_. I am an aristocrat with both strength and beauty… They call _moi _the 'Dark Adonis'." Vyers focused his attention on Laharl. "Young man. I assume you are the son of the late King Krichevskoy, are you not?"

Laharl crossed his arms and looked at Vyers defiantly. "That's right," He answered, "I am Laharl, the heir to the throne."

"The heir to the throne?" Vyers asked, cocking his head. He gave a short laugh. "Hah! That is history, dear boy. Your existence has long been forgotten… Are you blind to the horde of demons lining up to fight for the throne?"

Laharl kept his defiant pose. "So? I'm the heir. That's all that matters," He insisted, "If they've forgotten, then I'll just make them remember."

Vyers rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I see. So you saw my potential and decided to strike against _moi _first…" He mused, "Such wonderful intuition… Well played, son of Krichevskoy."

Laharl shrugged. "I've never even heard of you. It's only a coincidence that we're here," He remarked, "You're just a tiny stepping stone on my path to the throne."

Vyers gasped, shocked. "How dare you!" He yelled angrily, "I am the Dark Adonis Vy-!"

"Who gives a damn about you?" Laharl interrupted, getting annoyed with the older demon, "Your new name is 'Mid-Boss'."

"Mi-mi-mid-Boss!?" Mid-Boss repeated, his face falling.

"Looks like you hurt his feelings, Prince." Etna commented.

"Unforgivable…" Mid-Boss muttered, before glaring at Laharl, "That is unforgivable! Guards!"

A group of ghosts, a warrior, an archer, and a Wind Mage rushed in.

"You called, Lord Mid-Boss?" the warrior asked.

"You- me- that-" Mid-Boss flustered, before pointing at Laharl's group. "GET THEM!"

Acting quickly the Wind Mage and Archer took their positions on a pair of geo panels, while the ghosts and the Warrior launched a frontal attack. As both sides clashed, Etna made a startling realization.

"Prince! The Mage and Archer are standing on Enemy-Boost panels!" She cried, just as a blast of wind knocked her aside.

"Hey, don't fall yet!" Laharl yelled, dodging a punch from Mid-Boss, only to be hit by the Warrior. Meanwhile, the Prinny Squad and the ghosts were duking it out.

"Grr, take this!" Laharl yelled, running at the Warrior, "Hurricane Slash!"

Creating a whirlwind, Laharl sent the Warrior into the air, before smashing him down onto the Archer. Though the Warrior was beaten, the Archer shot at Laharl. Laharl jumped away to avoid the arrows, but was now in range of Mid-Boss.

Thwack!

"Oof!" Laharl grunted, being knocked back. He had to get rid of that geo effect! But where was the geo symbol…?

There! Three of them, lined up in a row…how convenient.

"Blade Rush!"

Laharl charged at the symbols, smashing them in an instant. "So much for your geo panels!" the Prince sneered, glaring at Mid-Boss.

With the Enemy-Boost gone, it was now time for Etna to get her revenge. She had been busy helping the Prinnies out, but with the ghosts gone, there was only one thing to do.

"Prinny Raid!" She called out, pointing at her targets.

The Prinnies, moved by a force other than their own, launched themselves at the Wind Mage and Archer, blasting them to smithereens.

"Good help is so hard to find, isn't it, Mid-Boss?" Laharl taunted.

But Mid-Boss was in no mood for banter.

"Adonis Shot!" He yelled, delivering a megaton punch onto Laharl. Laharl flew across the room, crashing into a statue.

"Perhaps I overdid it?" Mid- Boss asked, looking at the rubble. But to his surprise, Laharl got up and dusted himself off.

"My turn!" Laharl lunged at Mid-Boss, his fist glowing. "Burning Knuckle!"

Laharl smashed his fist into Mid-Boss, who seemed to burst into FLAMES.

BLAMMO!

When the smoke cleared, Mid-Boss lay against the wall, covered in soot.

"Heh… I underestimated your skill. I mistook you for but a child," Mid-Boss wheezed, rubbing his head, "But that was an error in judgment. I am too kindhearted."

Laharl glared at Mid-Boss. Who did this blowhard think he was? "Liar," He spat, "You were serious just now."

Off to the side, leaning on her spear (Which was stuck into the Wind Mage), Etna shook her head. "How pathetic," She commented, "Nothing's worse than a sore loser."

Mid-Boss clutched his chest and groaned. "Ugh…! What repulsive little brats you are." Getting up, Mid-Boss leapt to an open window. "I shall come to return the favor, so do not forget about _moi!!_"

And with that, Mid-Boss jumped out the window, which would was slightly more impressive when you realize they were on the _top floor_.

Not really concerned with that tidbit, Laharl turned to his followers.

"Alright, let's collect the spoils and head home." He ordered.

Etna quickly pulled her spear out from the Wind Mage. "Uh… Prince, I need to use the restroom." She said, and left.

The Prinny Squad stared. "Master Etna ran away," One commented. They rest looked at the giant bag of stolen goods with horror, "Which means… Dood, we're gonna hafta carry all this?"

"We're Master Etna's vassals, not the Prince's…" A third Prinny moaned.

"Etna's vassals are my vassals," Laharl told them sternly, "And my vassals do what I say. Now get to work."

"Doooooood…." The Prinnies moaned, staring at the giant sack.

"Now, now," A kind voice said. The Prinny Squad looked over at the source, a red Prinny that had snuck along with the normal ones. They had seen her at the Overlord's Castle many times, usually in the Prince's room. She was the one they called 'Big Sis'.

"It's only until the next red moon, right?" She asked them, looking at them caringly.

The Prinny Squad sighed. "I guess you're right, dood," One of them said, "We'll get to work."

Huffing and puffing, the Prinny Squad gathered around and began to lift the giant sack up. While they struggled, Big Sis Prinny looked over at Laharl, who was drawing mustaches on a portrait of Mid-Boss.

"Laharl…" She murmured softly, a tear forming in her eye.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In another room, three doors down from the Hall of Caresses, Etna was applying make-up…or so it appeared. In actuality, the compact mirror she was looking at was a secret form of communication…with her TRUE master.

"…No, he doesn't suspect a thing." She assured quietly. There was no one around, but she still had to be careful.

"I see…" An evil voice drifted up from the mirror, "But still… How did he survive after drinking that potion…?" Her master began to sound worried. "If he fully recovers, this will become a difficult task…"

"Don't worry," Etna whispered in an assuring tone, "If you leave it to me, the throne will be yours."

"Are you sure you can deliver on that promise?" Master asked, unconvinced.

"…Yes," Etna answered dutifully, "Remember, in exchange…"

"I know. When I reign supreme as the Overlord, I shall return it to you."

Etna looked away, a pained expression on her face.

"Hmhmhm…" The master chuckled darkly, before laughing out loud. "Hahahahahaha!"

She didn't know why, but Etna had a bad feeling about this…

Episode 1

Prince of the Netherworld

**End**

A/n: And…that's a wrap, people! That's the first episode, in novel form! I hope I did the game justice!

Mid-Boss: It was appaling!

a/n: What? Why?

Mid-Boss: My servants never called me 'Mid-Boss' in the game.

A/n: It's called artistic licensing. I thought it would be a good one-shot gag.

Mid-Boss: Hmph…And you never did the battles for the Courtyard and Hall.

A/n: It's not easy writing fights down, especially ones in a SRPG. I try to get the finer points down, like those 'Enemy-Boost' Geo Panels you used. I also thought the Laharl-Mid-Boss fight would be a good place for the debut of Laharl's first personal special move, Burning Knuckle. So, tell me what you thought of this chapter, (That means review!) and I'll be back with the next episode! To give you a good idea what's to come, heeere's Etna!

-Episode 2 peview-

Etna: Finally, the time has come for Prince Laharl to pay for all his evil deeds!

Laharl: Hey.

Etna: Now, Etna will fulfill the late Prince's wish and succeed him to the throne.

Laharl: I'm not dead.

Etna: So long, Prince! Your humble vassal Etna will put your money and power to good use.

Laharl: You're one scary girl.

Etna: Next on _Hyper Dimensional Demon Gal Etna_, Episode 2: _The Birth of Queen Etna_. A new era of the Netherworld begins!

Laharl: You're delusional...


	2. Enter Flonne

_Celestia - a world where beings known as angels live. _

_The Netherworld, __Celestia, and the human world... legend has it that these worlds are connected._

_This is one of such nexuses, between the Netherworld and Celestia. However, it __is sealed by a gate constructed by the angels of ancient times..._

Seraph Lamington, the ruler of Celestia, looked out at the garden behind his palace, the Seraphic Sanctuary. The Seraph was a tall man- Angel, rather, with a handsome, but quiet and serene face, topped with smooth, long, light blue hair, and the great, white feathery wings that all angels have.

"Did you send for me, Master Lamington?" A girl's voice asked him from behind.

Lamington looked behind him to see a cute little Angel with blond hair with a blue ribbon tied in.

"Yes, I did," Lamington answered, and waved for the cute angel to approach him. "Here, Flonne, have a look." He gestured at the field of flowers before him. "The flowers are in full bloom."

"How beautiful!" Flonne exclaimed, smiling. She giggled. "I love these flowers." She said, "They are simple, yet bright and lively…" She looked out at the garden serenely. "I want to be just like these flowers…" She sighed.

Lamington looked at his little charge , her eyes so full of kindness, her heart full of love. After a minute, he said, "Flonne, listen carefully to what I have to say."

Flonne looked away from the flowers to give the Seraph her full attention. "Yes?"

"As Seraph, I have orders for you, Angel Trainee Flonne," Lamington said, "Go to the Netherworld and assassinate the Overlord, King Krichevskoy."

Flonne stared at her leader uncomprehendingly. "Huh?" She asked intelligently. What did he just say? _Assassinate?_

Episode 2

Enter Flonne

It was nighttime when Flonne arrived at the Overlord's Castle. She looked up at the imposing structure, right outside the gate.

"Well, I'm here…at the Overlord's Castle," She said determinedly, "I still wonder why the Seraph picked me, though." She frowned, thinking it over. "Master Vulcanus would have been a much better choice," She commented, "Not only that, but an assassination… What is the Seraph thinking?"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

What the Seraph was thinking was about how dangerous a gamble he was playing. He knew how many ways his plan could fail. As he looked out at his garden and all the creatures in it, he heard the sounds of heavy footsteps.

"Master Lamington!" A stern voice called out, "Master Lamington, are you here?!"

Lamington turned around to see a stern angel rush out into the garden. Unlike Lamington, this angel was shorter, had a mean disposition, narrow eyes, and a mustache.

"Why all the ruckus, Vulcanus?" Lamington asked his fellow angel, "You scared the birds away."

Vulcanus snorted. "Who cares about the birds…" He muttered, "I have an important question!" He stood up straight and looked the Seraph directly in the eye. "Is it true you sent Flonne to assassinate King Krichevskoy!?"

Lamington shrugged. "Yes, it is true." No point in denying it.

Vulcanus' eyes widened. "Wha-wha-wha!? What did you do that for!?" He demanded, "King Krichevskoy is the ruler of that abomindal, dirty, rotten Netherworld!!!" He growled, a vein appearing on his head.

Seraph Lamington gazed at Vulcanus unaffected.

"If you want him assassinated, it would make more sense to send me!" Vulcanus said, continuing his tirade. "Instead, you pick that Angel Trainee… You think too highly of her! I very aggravated by this!"

"That is exactly why you are fit for this task." Lamington said softly, while Vulcanus continued to gripe. "Besides, this is something only Flonne can accomplish…" Indeed, the plan depended on Flonne…and him.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In the Overlord's Castle, Flonne had done a very nice job of infiltrating. Apparently, the gate was unlocked, and there were no guards in sight. Both factors allowed Flonne an easy entry into the Overlord's Castle. It was so easy that by the time Flonne made it to the throne room, she seemed to have forgotten what would happen if she was caught.

"Whoosh!" She giggled, zipping up behind the throne. "Nin nin nin!" She chanted, darting past the throne into the next hallway.

At the end of that hall, she found a large door. On the door was a sloppily-made sign that said **Overlord's Room**. Opening the door slightly, she zipped in.

"Wumph!" She gulped, shutting the door quickly.

In his casket, Laharl stirred. Did he hear a door close?

"Whew…" Flonne breathed, "Looks like I made it in without being seen. What do they call those guys in the human world? Oh yes… "Ninjas"… I always wanted to be one." Flonne smiled at the thought. "Maybe I have potential. Nin nin!" However, a more pressing thought occurred to her about her reasons for acting like a ninja. "But still, is it alright for me to be doing this?" She wondered, "The angels all say that demons are evil, but are they really?" She frowned. "It doesn't seem fair to judge somebody based on rumors alone. Even if it's the Seraph's orders, I don't feel right assassinating somebody I don't know."

Laharl heard a strange muttering and looked toward the door. To his surprise, a girl was there.

"…Does that mean it's alright to assassinate somebody I DO know? That seems wrong, too." Flonne began to fret. "Can't kill strangers… Hmmmm, can't kill acquaintances either…which means…ohhh…"

By this time, Laharl had marched right up to her and demanded, "Who are you, and why are you in my room talking to yourself?"

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!" Flonne shrieked, caught off-guard, and rammed Laharl in the head.

"Owww…!" Laharl grunted, stepping back, "What the heck did you do that for!?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Flonne apologized, "You scared me, so I accidentally…" She then saw Laharl's pointy ears, that all demons have. ("Huh? Is he a demon…? There are demons this young? I didn't know that.")

"Hmph…" Laharl gave Flonne a mean look before asking, "So, who are you?"

"Me?" Flonne asked, then smiled. "Nice to meet you. I'm an assassin." She quickly realized what she did and gulped. "Whoops. I wasn't supposed to say that."

"You're pretty dense, aren't you?" Laharl commented incredulously.

Flonne frowned. "My!" She exclaimed, "How rude, calling somebody you just met dense!"

"I think an assassin that tries to kill someone in his sleep is a lot ruder." Laharl shot back.

Flonne saw his point. "You're right. I apologize."

Laharl felt a bead of sweat. ("Is she really an assassin?")

"It looks like I failed this time, so I guess I'll be leaving now," Flonne gave Laharl a polite bow. "I'll be back again. Please take care."

Laharl was so thrown off by Flonne's cheerfulness in this situation that it wasn't until after she had left the room he had gotten his bearings back.

"H-hey! Wait!" He called out. Looking around he yelled, "Someone! Get in here, now!!"

Etna entered his room shortly afterward. "Why are you yelling at this time of night?" She demanded, "Ohhh, did you have a nightmare?"

Laharl's eyes turned red while his two hair antenna stood straight up. "No, you fool!" He roared, "An assassin has infiltrated the castle!"

Etna blinked. "Huh?"

"What happened to the Prinnies that were supposed to be on patrol!!?" The Prince demanded.

Etna shrugged. "They've partied themselves to sleep." She replied casually.

Laharl's eyes turned red again. "Those idiots…!!" He hissed, "I'm gonna smack 'em!" He yelled, "Wake them up, now! We've got an assassin to track down!" No assassin was going to get into HIS castle without paying the piper!

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

By the time Laharl had his search party, consisting of him, Etna, and the Prinny Squad, ready and looking, the entire castle was in an uproar. All of the castle's inhabitants were soon at their usual posts. To prevent the assassin from escaping, Laharl ordered all gates in the castel to be securely locked and watched.

"It's a bit noisy," Commented Manty, "Is there some sort of party? Party hardy!"

Laharl stared at the goofy vassal in disgust. "Why are all my vassals like this?" He bemoaned.

"Ever take a look in a mirror?" Etna asked, but shut up at Laharl's venomous glare. As the party left the throne room to search the rest of the castle, they passed by Dratti.

"Prince, weren't you assassinated?" the dragon asked innocently.

"Stop killing me in your head!" Laharl snapped, annoyed.

In the main hall, Gargo had something to say.

"Prince, I heard about the assassin," Gargo said, beaming, "Congratulations! Assassination attempts mean that you're a full-fledge demon."

Laharl twitched. "Am I supposed to be happy?"

In the portal room, Zommie had some useful info.

"If you're looking for the assassin, I saw her walk by here," Zommie told Laharl, "I think she used the Dimensional Gate to escape."

Laharl stared at the zombie in disbelief. "If you saw all this, why didn't you chase after her?" he asked, annoyed.

Zommie shrugged. "That would require on my part."

Laharl was about to give Zommie the beat-down of his unlife when Etna grabbed him and pulled the Prince away from the zombie. Still a little annoyed, Laharl stomped over to Fiona.

"Ah, Prince," Fiona said, "An unfamiliar girl was just here to use the Dimensional Gate."

An unfamiliar girl! That sounded like the assassin! "Where'd she go!?" Laharl demanded.

"She wanted to go someplace where nobody could find her," Fiona explained, "So I sent her to the Frozen River."

Etna gave Fiona a weird look. "Um, doesn't revealing that information defeat the entire purpose of her escaping?"

"Who cares!" Laharl snarled, an eager, evil look on his face. "Now, we know where she is!" He looked at Fiona. "Send us there, now!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

The Frozen River, an area in the northern part of the Netherworld. As the name suggested, the entire region was one river canyon, whose flow had been stopped by the intense lower temperatures.

When Laharl's party arrived, there was nobody to be found, except a few zombies and some warriors, but they were easily dealt with.

Looking around, Laharl saw some footprints in the snow…foot prints made by shoes he was sure nobody in the Netherworld had.

"This way!" He yelled, and began to follow the trail.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Flonne wasn't sure how far she had gotten, and really didn't care. When she asked the Gatekeeper to send her 'someplace nobody could find her' she was hoping to be sent to the gateway to Celestia.

"Maybe I should go back…" She murmured, unsure of herself. This simple assignment- which she decided long before wasn't so simple- had gotten out of hand. But as she turned around, she saw that demon boy, followed by a demon girl in a leather skirt and tank-top, with a bunch of Prinnies close behind.

"There she is!" Laharl hollered, pointing at Flonne.

"What?" Etna took in Flonne's appearance. White clothes, blue ribbon, blond hair, baby blue eyes… Not one inch of her seemed capable of killing anything. "She's the assassin? I was expecting something a little more…menacing." Etna shrugged. "Oh, well."

"Just shut up and capture her." Laharl ordered, glaring at the blond.

"Aye aye, dood." The Prinny Squad saluted, and advanced past Laharl onto Flonne.

Flonne frowned at the incoming penguin things. Focusing, she raised her staff into the air.

"Prima Pretty Prippanica!" She chanted, "Mighty warriors, protect me!"

The air shimmered slightly, as everyone felt the magic being cast. At first, nothing happened. And then…

"Oooooooooooooohhhhh!!"

A zombie burst from beneath the snow! He was soon followed by more zombies. Unlike Zommie, a 'natural born' zombie, artificial zombies like these had little free will or intelligence. In short, they were the perfect soldier for a mage on a magical budget.

Etna gasped. "Angelic language…?!" She muttered, her eyes widening. "Prince! She must be from Celestia!" Etna had only read about the angels of Celestia in school, but never thought she would ever meet one. Angels were apparently the natural enemies of demons, possessing magics that could

Laharl, on the other hand, was indifferent to the whole angel concept. "Makes no difference to me," He shrugged, "Angel or god, anyone who opposes me will suffer a terrifying death." A nasty smile grew on his face. "Hmhmhm! Say your prayers!"

Flonne, however, didn't seem worried. In fact, she was smiling!

"Please don't push yourselves," She advised, bowing, "You guys can run if it gets to dangerous." And with that, she ran off.

Laharl's eyes widened. What was WITH this girl!? She says she's an assassin, but has good manners, tells her targets to run away...he couldn't get it.

"Don't let her escape!" He thundered, and charged, ready to blast his way through the zombies blocking his way, "We'll teach her a lesson!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In Celestia, Lamington sat at the edge of his garden, thinking. This plan was a gamble, he knew, but sometimes you had to take a risk if you wanted great payoff.

"Hmhmhm…"

The seraph's eyes sharpened. He was not alone! "Reveal yourself!" He ordered, standing up. When his visitor stepped out from behind a fountain, his features softened. "Oh, it is you. Please do not startle me like that." Lamington gave his guest an curious look. "So…" He started, "How are things progressing?"

Lamington's partner shrugged. "Well, I cannot say they have gone perfectly, but there is nothing to be concerned about."

The Seraph closed his eyes, processing that information. "I see… Forgive me for putting such a burden on you."

The partner scoffed. "Please… It was my idea to begin with. By the way, how is the girl doing?" the partner asked, "Has she managed to meet Laharl safely?"

Lamington didn't answer at first. Instead, the angel strode over to the fountain, and touched the water with his fingertip. As it rippled, an image of Laharl being rammed by Flonne appeared in the water.

"I would not use the word 'safely'," Lamingotn admitted, "But she is managing in her own way."

The partner gave the Seraph a cool look. "You must have a lot of faith in her."

Lamington returned his partner's gaze with a short smile. "Yes…" He said, "Just as you have faith in him."

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Back in the Frozen River, Flonne was making good distance when she heard an explosion from behind her. Looking back, she saw that the zombies she had summoned were being blown apart by the demons following her. Quickening her pace, Flonne tried to put as many miles between her and her pursuers when she tripped, falling into the snow with a splat.

"Oof!" She grunted, landing face-first. As she struggled to get up, she noticed that she was inches away from a patch of… Yellow snow!

"Yuck!" Flonne shrieked, shooting back up. As she dusted herself off, she heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, she saw Laharl and Etna run up to her.

"How persistant…" Flonne frowned. "Are all demons like this?" Pulling out her staff, Flonne began to focus. "I have no other choice. I'll have to use a sleep spell. Nighty-night!"

But Etna had no intention to fall asleep in the snow tonight. "Oh no, you don't!" She yelled, jumping in front of Laharl. Putting her hands together, she began to prepare a spell of her own. "Fryer Fire Frapperisque!" She chanted, glowing red. "Flames, burn that girl to the ground!" At those words, a blast of fire flew out from her hands and towards Flonne. Flonne quickly saw the danger she was in and prepared a defense spell.

"Berry Barrier Balidaire!" She chanted, glowing white, "Mirror, reflect the flames!"

Just a the fire ball reached Flonne, a circular energy shield appeared in front of the angel. The fire bounced off the shield, flying back at Etna.

"Whoa!" Etna cried, jumping aside, unfortunately, this left Laharl to take the fireball head-on.

FWOOSH!

"Ow!!"

"Uh…" Etna looked at her now smoldering Prince and shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry, Prince."

"Ugh…" Laharl, now covered in soot, rubbed his head, and noticed something was different. "My hair…!" Instead of the usual antenna, it now resembled an afro. He glared at Flonne. "Now you've done it! I had my hair just the way I wanted it!" He yelled, vexed more than a boy should, "This is unforgivable!" Laharl stepped toward Flonne, his fists clenched. "Feel the wrath of Laharl!"

Flonne, not wanting to do that, simply ran off, as more zombies appeared.

"More zombies, huh?" He growled, smoothing his hair back into its original style, "They'll be good practice for when I get a hold of that assassin!"

As the Prinny Squad caught up to the Laharl and Etna, the Prince yelled, "Okay, let's blast through these guys!"

The Prinny Squad, after fighting the first batch of zombies, weren't so energetic about taking Laharl's orders this time. While zombies were not very strong, their inability to stay dead until they were smashed to pieces made fighting them as easy as pushing a large boulder uphill.

"Feel my hair's pain, you rotting corpses!" Laharl thundered, and charged at the pack of zombies, a Burning Knuckle just waiting to be unleashed.

BA-VOOM!

Laughing maniacally, Laharl watched as the zombies were sent flying by his attack. Just as he was about to move forward, he felt a sudden, awful, itching sensation.

"What the…?" Laharl noticed that a strange, purple powered falling down from above. Looking up, he saw some imps flying around, sprinkling their Hell Pepper. Imps were a race of scrawny, scavenger-like demons, who were often described as snakes with wings. They must have been attracted to the scene by the smell of rotting flesh that came with zombies.

Growling, Laharl swung his sword at the runty demons, but they hovered wisely and tauntingly out of reach.

"Etna!" He yelled, coughing, "Get those little imps!"

Etna, who saw the imps coming and wisely stood out of their range of fire, was more than happy to oblige. Her spear had more reach than Laharl's sword, so she simply stabbed the closest imp she could find. But while she was pulling that first one off of her spear, the other imps quickly flew higher to avoid being stabbed. Etna didn't mind. She pulled out her Samurai and took aim.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Anything else, Prince?" Etna asked as the bodies of shot imps fell around her.

Laharl took some faerie dust before answering. "Let's go!" He yelled, pointing forward, "Get that angel!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

At the very end of the Frozen River, Flonne found herself up against a wall of ice. This was where water would flow into the frozen river in the days when the area was a temperate zone, but now all the frozen waterfall served as was an obstacle. As Flonne looked for something she could use as a foot hold to begin her climb out of the Frozen River, Laharl and his party arrived.

"You can't escape!" Laharl boomed, causing Flonne to turn around, "I'm proud to say that I'm the most persistent demon in all the Netherworld!" he bragged.

Flonne was deeply impressed. To be the best or most at anything was quite an accomplishment. "Is that so?" She asked, applauding, "Wow… That's really something."

Laharl gave her a weird look. "Are you trying to make a fool of me?" He asked, suspicious.

Etna looked at Flonne's bright eyes and cheerful expression. "No, I think that's the way she is."

Flonne giggled. This was actually kinda fun! "Now it's my turn to show off a little," She said, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out a stone with a rune on it. "But, I'll have to use the object the Seraph gave me, so I can only do it once."

_At the gateway to the Netherworld, Seraph Lamington turned to Flonne._

"_Flonne, I know this assignment may not be easy for you," Lamington said. He held out a stone with the rune for 'Dragon' on it. "So, if you get into trouble, please use this special charm."_

_Flonne took the charm and studied it. "What is it?"_

"_It's a summoning spell. With it, you can summon a beast greater than anything you could do on your own," the Seraph explained, "But it can only be used once. After that, it's mana will be exhausted, and the charm will be a useless rock, so be careful…"_

"Are you ready?" Flonne asked her pursuers, who stared back uncomprehendingly. "Here I go!"

Laharl and Etna exchanged odd looks.

"Prince…" Etna said slowly, staring at the angel's eager face, "I think we're playing by her rules…"

Flonne, meanwhile, was now grasping the stone in both hands, focusing her magic into the charm. A white glow began to surround her as she chanted.

"Durian Dragon Dranyago! Dragon, come forth!"

With a flash of lightning, a great, green dragon appeared before Flonne, standing between her and the demons. The mighty monster roared, causing the ground to shake.

Etna stared wide-eyed at the beast. "Prince, we have to fight THIS?"

Laharl didn't really care about the dragon. To him, it was just a green version of that wacko, Dratti.

"We don't have much choice, do we?" he replied, glaring at the dragon.

The Prinny Squad quickly saw the danger their masters were in, and did the only thing loyal servants could do. They hid behind rocks.

"Good luck, Prince, Master Etna!" They called out.

"You worthless good-for-nothings!" Laharl roared, shooting venomous looks at the Prinnies. He was so busy glaring at the Prinny Squad that he didn't see the dragon coming…

WHACK!

…Until after it whipped him with its tail. Laharl went flying, his crash-landing cushioned by the snow bank he fell in.

"Grr… Cheap shot! Take this!" Laharl jumped into the air, his sword raised. "Wind Cutter!"

Laharl swung his sword down, releasing a blade of wind that shot down and struck the dragon. The beast roared in pain.

"Oh, you poor thing!" Flonne quickly raised her staff. "Lord, give me strength! Power of Love!"

A strange, soothing green glow surrounded the dragon, and its wounds vanished.

Etna's eyes narrowed when she saw that. So, angels could heal the ill and injured, huh? She'd put a stop to that. Whipped out her spear, she leapt high into the air.

"Impaler!"

Etna brought the spear right down onto Flonne, causing the angel to dodge. The edge on Etna's spear actually went into the ground from the force. Pulling it out, Etna proceeded to jab wildly at Flonne, who was forced to defend herself with her staff.

"Staffs are good for casting spells, but lousy for direct combat!" Etna sneered, "There's no way you can win if I keep you from using magic!"

"That's a good point! Eek!" Flonne shrieked as she zipped away from Etna. Once she was a suitable distance, Flonne's staff was suddenly covered in light. When the light faded, her staff was gone, replaced by a bow.

"Here I come!" Flonne yelled, and fired several arrows at Etna.

"Hey!" Etna cried, ducking and dodging the arrows, "No fair!"

Running behind a coveneintly placed block of ice, Etna pulled out her gun.

"If that's the way she wants to play…" Etna gritted, turning to safety off. This had no effect on the gun's overall performace, but was pretty cool to do. Leaping out from her hiding place, Etna steadied her targeting onto Flonne, while the angel pointed her next arrow onto Etna.

Off to the side, Laharl and the dragon were in the midst of a wrestling match. The dragon had Laharl in a cobra twist, but the Prince quickly escaped, and took the beast's back. Using his Hurricane Slash move, Laharl sent the dragon into the ice. The beast was back on its feet in moments, and blew fire at the Prince.

"Yow!" Laharl cried, just barely dodging the flames. He was starting to dislike fire. "I'll teach you to mess my hair!"

Laharl rushed under the dragon's head and leapt up, delivering a powerful uppercut, sending the dragon reeling. While dragons were known for their tenacity and endurance, Laharl was pleased to see that this dragon in particular was recovering from each blow with less speed each time.

Off to the side, Flonne saw that her dragon was losing. She realized that, being a reptile in nature, its reflexes were being dulled in this cold environment.

("I have to heal him!") She decided, ("But first I have to take care of this demon!") With that in mind, Flonne let loose her arrow. At the same time, Etna fired, seeing Flonne distracted.

TWA-BANG!

"Owch!" Etna winced, rubbing her hand. Her Ion 8K Samurai lay at her feet, an arrow in it.

"Oof!" Flonne groaned, falling back. Before her was the broken remains of her bow.

"That stung, you litte…!" Etna looked down at her broken gun. Her eyes turned red. "Hey! That was my limited edition, custom-made Rosen Queen Company special order! Do you know how much HL that cost!?"

Flonne wasn't paying attention. She was holding the remains of her bow in her hands, her eyes tearing up.

"The bow I made with my own two hands…" She sniffed, the sentimentality of it all getting to her.

Off to the side, Laharl watched Etna rant and Flonne cry with annoyance.

"Are they BOTH stupid?" He wondered, before a roar caught his attention.

The dragon!

Laharl quickly jumped aside to avoid another blast of fire. Whipping around in the air, Laharl unleashed another Wind Cutter onto the dragon, finally cleaving it in two.

The girls stopped their little fits when they heard the dragon's death rattle, his remains being frozen in the ice.

"Wow…" Flonne said, amazed, "You defeated my dragon."

"Hmhmhm…" Laharl chuckled, satisfied with his work. He turned around and marched up to Flonne. "You've caused some trouble for me," When got close enough, he pointed at Flonne. "I don't know who hired you, but I'll make you regret the day you tried to assassinate the great Laharl!"

Flonne blinked uncomprehendingly. "Uh… Excuse me, but…" Flonne cocked her head in confusion, "Why would I want to assassinate you?"

Laharl lowered his hand. "Huh?"

Flonne closed her eyes, and in a flash of light, her broken bow became a whole staff. "I am Angel Trainee Flonne," She said, opening her eyes, "I am here by order of the Seraph to assassinate the Overlord, King Krichevskoy."

Laharl stared at the angel. "You're here to kill my old man?"

Flonne blinked. "Your old man…" She repeated slowly. A light bulb turned on over her head. "That means…you're the king's son?" She asked slowly.

Etna couldn't take it anymore. This situation was getting stupid. "Doesn't anyone in Celestia read the newspaper?" She asked, exasperated.

Flonne turned to Etna, confused, before looking to Laharl for conformation.

"You came all the way from Celestia for nothing," Laharl said, "My old man died two years ago."

For a minute, Flonne looked shocked. Then, to the equal shock of Laharl and Etna (And the Prinny Squad, who had come out of hiding at this point), she began to cry!

"I'm sorry…" She sniffed, pulling out a white handkerchief.

"H-hey!" Laharl cried, stunned, "Why are you crying?"

"You're father passed away, right?" Flonne asked, dabbing her tears with her handkerchief, "You'll never see him again… When I think about that, it makes me sad…"

"Huh?" Laharl blinked. Did this girl have split personality or something? "Are you crazy!?" He demanded, getting annoyed, "You came here to assassinate him, right? Why should you be sad?"

Flonne blew her nose before answering. "Are you not sad?" She asked.

"Me? I don't have that emotion." Laharl shrugged.

"That's not true," Flonne persisted, "When you lose someone or something important to you, you cry don't you?" She asked, "Your heart aches, doesn't it?"

Laharl scoffed. "I don't understand a word you're saying."

"How come?" Flonne asked, curious.

"'How come?'" Laharl repeated, "Because I'm a demon, of course!" he boomed.

Flonne's eyes narrowed in thought. "Demons don't know sadness?"

Laharl began to feel uncomfortable under her suspicious eyes. "E-exactly! I've never such an emotion in my entire life!"

"If that's true, then does that mean demons don't know love, either?" Flonne asked, "Sadness is only possible because of love."

Laharl nodded. Now she was getting it. "You're right. Demons have no love, either!"

"That's…" Flonne looked ready to cry again, "That's just…too sad…"

Laharl looked at the angel with disdain. ("She sounds just like my mother.") He noticed, ("How stupid! Love…? What good is it? What's the point in having it?") A black feeling welled up in his heart. ("Love is the reason mother is dead! I don't believe… I'll never believe in love!!")

Flonne had her own thoughts on the subject. ("If demons really don't know love, then it's my duty as a Celestian to explore the matter,") She decided, ("I was ordered to assassinate the Overlord, but this must a sign from the heavens,") Flonne clenched her cute little fists as a great fire was ignited within her. ("It has to be! Whether demons are pure evil or not… If they really don't feel love… I will bear witness to the truth!")

"What's love good for" I don't need it…" Laharl muttered, more to himself than anyone else, "Demons like me don't need that kind of crap!"

"If that is true," Flonne said, assuming his comments were directed to her, "Then demons are a real threat to Celestia. Since I can't complete my mission, I have decided that my new goal is to learn the true nature of demons." She looked skyward, contemplating, "I must know for certain whether or not demons are capable of love. And if necessary…" Flonne pointed at Laharl, "I will carry out my original mission with a new target!"

Laharl glared at Flonne…

Flonne stared at Laharl…

Etna stood adjacent to both, looking very bored with the conversation…

The Prinny Squad looked at all of them, having taken bets on how this climax would end…

Then, to everyone's surprise, Laharl began to laugh.

"Hmhmhm… Hmhmhm!! Haaahahahaha!" He thundered, "Alright! Be my guest!" He grinned, "I shall burn a true vision of horror into that empty head of yours!"

Etna couldn't believe what she was hearing. After all this trouble, Laharl wasn't going to destroy like he said he was?

She sighed. "Prince, what are you doing recruiting an assassin…and an angel at that?"

But as Flonne formally introduced herself to the Prinny Squad, an smug smile crossed Etna's face.

("But, this might avert his attention from me,") She thought, giggling, ("Perfect timing.")

Episode 2 

Enter Flonne

**End**

A/n: And that's how Flonne joined the party. The end.

Vulcanus: What th… What a minute! Since when could the characters change weapons like that!?

A/n: What, you didn't know? During battles, you can change equipment if their part of your item list. I gave Etna a bow a few times…I feel like such a dope for not trying it during my first run of the game.

Vulcanus: And what about Flonne's staff? Why did it TRANSFORM into her bow?

A/n: That's a homage to the Disgaea anime. In one episode, Flonne turned her staff into a bow and arrow…it's a neat effect. Also, a big THANK YOU to JWM for his review…the only review I've gotten. What's next, Etna?

-Episode 3 Preview-

[Camera shows a series of screen shots in a comic book fashion]

Etna: At long last, the nefarious angel Flonne seems to have forsaken her evil ways.

Flonne: N-nefarious angel?

Etna: But, can an old dog learn new tricks!? Flonne suddenly reverts to a killing machine, slaughtering a crowd of innocent demons!

Flonne: K-killing machine!?

Etna: Finally, she transforms into a space monster! Could this be the end of the Netherworld!?

Flonne: S-space monster!?

Etna: Alright! It's time for me to transform!! Next on _Space Detective Etna_, Episode 3: _Etna vs Space Monster Flonne_! I'll protect the Netherworld at any cost!!

Flonne: I wanna be a space detective, too!

Etna: Too bad.


	3. A Hint of Kindness

Several days had passed after Flonne arrived. When she was first introduced to the rest of the vassals, Flonne had been somewhat worried that they wouldn't accept her. To her surprise, they didn't seem to mind the fact that she was an angel or and assassin… though they had their own comments on the subject.

"Where is the assassin?" Manty had asked when Laharl's party returned, "I'll take him on."

Flonne bowed. "Good day. I am Angel Trainee Flonne, the assassin dispatched from Celestia. Pleased to meet you."

"Oh, nice to meet you too…" Manty replied, a little surprised at her good manners. To Laharl he asked, "Prince, you sure this is the assassin?"

Laharl merely groaned. "Don't ask…"

"The assassin was an angel?" Gargo asked upon meeting Flonne, "What is the world coming to?"

"Why are the folks up in Celestia sending an assassin here now?" Goleck wondered aloud, "There hasn't been any interaction between us and them for thousands of years..."

Laharl simply shrugged at their concerns. "Angels hating demons is old news. But, this may be the start of something big," He rubbed his hands eagerly, "Things could get interesting, hmhmhm…"

After that, Flonne had been made an official resident of the Overlord's Castle, given her own room and everything. Though her living area was small and bare, it wasn't that bad. One of the less kept rooms, but nothing an 'angel's touch' couldn't fix.

One day, Flonne was on her way to the Rosen Queen Company Netherworld branch to buy a lamp when she came upon an odd scene in the Throne Room. Etna and her Prinny Squad were standing before Laharl, looking quite eager. Curious, she stepped in to listen. It didn't SEEM like a private conversation, as Goleck, Manty, and Dratti were listening as well.

"Salary?" Laharl asked, raising an eyebrow.

Etna nodded, smiling broadly. "Yup. Today's the Prinny Squad's payday."

Laharl nodded. "I get that," He said, "Now, explain to me why I have to pay YOUR vassals' salary."

Etna was hoping he'd say that. "My vassals are your vassals, right?" Ever since the Prinnies told her he'd said that, she'd been waiting for the right time to throw his words back at him.

Laharl grunted. "Ugh… I can't argue with that," He'd only said that to get the Prinny Squad to do his bidding… Who knew it would get him in the end? Oh, well, just this once… "…Fine. But, it's not coming out of my pocket."

Etna blinked. "Huh? I thought you had plenty of money?" As the king's son, Laharl had access to Krichevskoy's entire fortune.

Laharl's eyes turned red and his hair antenna stood straight up. "That's my allowance!" He roared, "No one's touching it!"

Etna sighed. "Stingy…"

"Shut up!" Laharl snapped, "So, who's the richest guy around here?" He asked, calming down, "We'll just loot his place!!"

As Laharl laughed wickedly at his clever idea, Flonne tapped Etna on the shoulder.

"Is he always like this?" She asked, a little surprised.

Etna nodded. "Yep, always."

Flonne felt a bead of sweat run down her forehead. "I've never met anybody like that in Celestia." She commented.

"I'd be amazed if you did," Etna replied. From what Flonne had told her about Celestia, the entire place was full of goody-goody types. "But, you won't last long in the Netherworld if something like this surprises you."

Flonne looked on, as Laharl rallied the Prinny Squad for the big heist. "Ooh… This is such a culture shock for me…" She commented.

Episode 3

A Hint of Kindness

After Laharl and the Prinny Squad left the Throne Room for the Dimensional Gate, Flonne turned to Etna. "Let's follow him."

Etna shrugged. "Why? He's a big boy. He can take care of himself."

"That's not the point!" Flonne protested, "As an angel, it is my duty to observe the actions of others, and see if I can put them on the right path!"

Etna wasn't moved. "I ain't goin'."

Flonne puffed her cheeks in annoyance. "Well, I am!" And with that she marched for the Dimensional Gate.

Etna stared. She looked around. She sighed. "Wait for me!" She yelled, running after Flonne.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In the Portal Room, Flonne and Etna found the Prinny Squad seated near the Rosen Queen Company, Netherworld branch. Laharl was nowhere in sight.

"Hey, where is he?" Etna wondered, looking around. She walked over to Fiona, and began to question her.

Meanwhile, Flonne went over to Zommie, who was standing in his usual spot.

"It's not so great being rich," Zommie commented, "Knowing how the Prince operates."

"I agree." Flonne said, a little sad.

Jus then, Etna walked over to her. "Okay, here's the deal," Etna said, "The Dimensional Gatekeeper said that she found the richest demon around, but his castle is protected by a forcefield."

"So, Laharl won't be able to rob him!" Flonne cried, happy.

"Well, not yet," Etna replied, "To get through the shield, he needs a level 10 item, so he went to the Item World to power up his sword."

Flonne stared, uncomprehending. "Level…ten?"

Etna groaned. "Oh, lord… Look, here's how it works: The Item World is a dungeon inside each item. The deeper you go, the stronger that item gets."

Flonne caught on. "So Laharl is going to go ten levels down inside his sword?" She guessed.

"You got it." Etna said.

"Haaahahahaha!"

"And it sounds like he's done." Etna commented, nodding toward the Item World Entrance. Sure enough, Laharl strode out, holding up a sword that seemed…different. Shinier.

"I, Laharl, am victorious!" The Prince boomed. To the Prinnies, he said, "Let's go… Show me the money!"

"Dood!" The Prinnies cheered, and followed him towards the Dimensional Gate.

"We're coming, too!" Flonne yelled, running over to Laharl. She turned to Etna. "Right?"

Etna grinned. "Sure, why not?" She could do some looting of her own, if this guy was rich enough.

"Whatever." Laharl replied. He didn't care. When he stood before the Gate, Fiona's eyes brightened.

"Prince! I see you have a level 10 item equipped," She said, "I will now add 'Dinero Palace' to the list of available areas."

"Dinero Palace…" Laharl repeated, turning the castle's name over in his head, "Sounds rich to me."

Etna giggled. "I can't wait to see what's there."

"Dood, we'll work hard for our paycheck!" One Prinny at the head of the Squad cheered.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Laharl's party arrived at the Gaudy Entrance, armed and ready for business. From a first glance, the entire looked like something from a Vegas nightmare…and it looked that way on the second and third glance, too.

"Hey, Prince," Etna called out, pointing, "Check out the welcome wagon!"

At the Entrance to the castle were a battalion of Martial Artists and Warriors, armed to the teeth.

Laharl smirked. "Looks this guy might be a challenge. Good." To Flonne, he said, "Hey, you see any mages or something in that squad?!"

Flonne, who had been perched on a leaning tower of Prinnies, said, "Well, I- Eek, don't wobble!- don't see anybody that can do magic- WAH!"

Laharl then found out that Flonne actually weighed a bit more then her physique led him to believe- or at least, that's what it felt like when she fell and landed on him.

"Nice catch, Prince." Etna teased.

"Grrrr!" Laharl tossed Flonne off of him. Grumbling and glaring, he said, "Well, if there aren't any mages, we've got nothing to worry about- CHARGE!"

And with that, Laharl and his party rushed the gates- except for Flonne, who stayed behind. When Laharl's party minus Flonne arrived at the gates, an all-out brawl ensued. At first it seemed both sides were equal- while the guards were stronger than the Prinny Squad, Laharl and Etna were much stronger than the hired muscle. But while they were fighting, Flonne saw one higher ranked Martial Artist sneaking up on Laharl!

"Laharl!" Flonne cried, "Behind…"

CRACK!

The Martial Artist fell backwards, a lump on her forehead. Laharl breathed on the fist he just threw back and grinned.

"That it?" He asked, looking around, "Okay, let's move on!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Past the Gaudy Entrance was the Golden Courtyard, named for the many gold statues scattered around. As Laharl and company looked around, Laharl felt that these statues looked familiar for some reason…

"What the…!? These are all from the Castle." Laharl realized, when he took a better look at one statue of a dragon. He knew because it had the Overlord's emblem on the pedestal.

"It was probably taken when the king died." Etna reasoned. There was a lot of looting in the Overlord's Castle during the first year following Krichevskoy's death.

Laharl closed his eyes in thought. "So, this place belongs to an ex-vassal," He mused, and chuckled. "Hmhmhm… This'll be fun!!" To the Prinny Squad, he yelled, "Hey, Prinnies! This is for your paychecks! You better work hard!!"

"Aye aye, dood!" The Prinny Squad saluted, and began to stuff every statue they could pick into a huge sack.

Flonne watched all this with trepidation.

"Hmmmmm. Netherworld Prinnies are a lot different than Celestial Prinnies…" She murmured, watching the mass larceny being committed, "In Celestia, Prinnies cook, clean, and do the laundry."

"But they're all the same on the inside." Etna put in.

Flonne blinked. "On the inside?" She asked, cocking her head and raising her index finger in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Etna raised an eyebrow. "You're an angel, and you don't know these things?" Sighing, she said, "Prinnies have human souls inside them," She explained, "Most of 'em were pretty worthless in their past lives, like murderers or thieves. They work as Prinnies in the Netherworld and Celestia to atone for their sins. In Celestia, they do good deeds for free. In the Netherworld, they do the ultra-hard labor for less than minimum wage," Flonne at this time was now taking notes, while Etna continued. "Once they've redeemed themselves or saved enough money, they can be reincarnated. I don't know all the details, but that's the basic idea."

Flonne put away her notepad." I see," She said, smiling, "But, why do they work for money in the Netherworld?"

Etna grinned cheekily. "You've never heard the saying, 'money makes the Netherworld go round"?"

Flonne cocked her head. "I don't get it. Is money that important?" She asked. While she knew humans used money, it was pretty uncommon in Celestia. After all, they didn't use it, so how important could it be?

Etna scoffed. "Of course it it!" She said sternly, "Geez, you Celestians…" It was plainly obvious that Celestia did not have an economics class in its primary education. "Look, there's nothin' more important than money, in this world or any other!" That was one of the deepest truths there is!

But Flonne didn't seem to think so. "Of course there is!" She said, brightly, "Love and friendship and…"

Now it was Etna's turn for confusion. "Huh? What good is that stuff?" She demanded to know. After all, if you couldn't sell it, what was the point of having it? "Is your head full of flowers or something?"

"Yes, I love flowers." Flonne answered earnestly, misinterpreting Etna's sarcastic remark.

Etna groaned. "Oh, geez… Your Head IS full of flowers."

While this exchange was going on, Laharl the Prinny Squad had just finished fighting a pair of martial artists. As they moved forward through the Courtyard toward the inside of the castle, they met with an unusual force that wouldn't let them through.

"What the-! Oh, not another geo effect!" The Prince snarled, pushing at the blue energy.

"The symbol's over there, dood!" A Prinny called out helpfully.

"Well, don't just stand there!" Laharl snapped, "Destroy it already!"

"Oh, right, aye aye, dood!" The Prinny whipped out a pair of daggers and began to chop at the geo symbol with reckless abandon. After about five minutes of hacking, the symbol broke, allowing them through…

CHOMP!

…Where Laharl found his head, still attached to his neck, inside the mouth of a large mantacore, one more menacing than Manty. Behind the monster was a squad of martial artists, and a cleric.

There was a pause as everyone stared at Laharl being eater. Then, the Prince slowly raised a fist…

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"*Snort* What was that noise…? Ah, nothn' important, I guess$"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

After effectivally blasting their way past the Golden Courtyard's defenses, Laharl were now exploring the castle, whilst, and, at the same time, grabbing everything that wasn't tied down. In the Flashy Passage, Etna saw something on the wall and gasped.

"Ah!" She cried, "Prince, look!"

Laharl and Flonne turned to look. Etna was pointing at a portrait of a regal and handsome demon, whose most noticeable features were his hair… styled into two attenna.

"It's a portrait of my old man…" Laharl murmured.

"Oh…" Flonne looked back and forth between the portrait of Krichevskoy and Laharl, noting the physical similarities. "So, this is what Mr. Krichevskoy looked like?"

Etna nodded. "That's right." Her eyes took on a far away gleam. "He was a magnificent Overlord."

Laharl harrumphed. "Hmph. Not even," He grumbled, "I was ready to dethrone him myself, but he went and croaked on his own."

Etna wasn't really paying attention to him. She was still staring at the portrait. Reaching up, she stopped short of actually touching it.

"Hey Prince," She said, "Can I have it?"

Laharl shrugged. "Sure, go ahead." Made no difference to him…

Etna didn't stuff it in the sack, but instead, held it very carefully in her arms. AS the party moved on, a thought occurred to Flonne.

"Come to think of it, how did he pass away?" She asked Etna.

Etna looked over at Flonne, and said, "Choked on a black pretzel."

Flonne stared. "Huh?" Her eyes widened as the full impact of the statement sank in. "The Overlord of the Netherworld died by choking on a pretzel?"

Etna shrugged. "Well, it happened…" She said casually, "So I guess anything's possible.

As the rest of the party moved on, Flonne sighed. "And this was the person I was ordered to assassinate…?"

Unfortunately, they had not time for further discussion when came upon the Passage's guards, which was made up of more martial artists.

Lots and lots of martial artists.

Flonne felt a bead of sweat. "I wonder who hired all these demons?"

"I wonder who can AFFORD to hire these demons!" Etna cried.

Laharl shifted his stance, getting his sword ready. "Well, no going around it. Let's get 'em!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"Hey, keep it down! *Snort!* I'm trying to count my money...$"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In the Flashy Passage, the bodies of beaten martial artists were everywhere.

"So much for them," Laharl sneered, putting his sword away. "On to the throne room! All the good stuff should be there!"

"Aye aye, dood!" The Prinnies saluted.

Laharl's party moved on, eventually arriving at a room marked "Lavish Hall". Inside, they found a large, pig-like demon sitting over a stack of HL, counting.

"One, two, three, four…" The greedy demon snickered, "O money, how do I love thee?$ Let me count the ways$… With you to fund my military campaign, I shall become the next Overlord!$" He snorted.

Laharl knew who that was. "Long time, no see, Hoggmeiser." He said.

Hoggmeiser quickly looked up from his money, his piggy eyes glaring at Laharl. "Who's there!?$"

"Hmhmhm…"" Laharl chuckled, stepping closer into the room, "Don't tell me you've forgotten me."

Hoggmeiser blinked. "…Who are you?$"

Laharl's eyes turned red with anger. "Laharl!!" He roared, "The heir to the throne!! King Krichevskoy's son!!!"

Hoggmeiser stared for a moment before putting his in his palm in that 'I see' manner. "Oh yeah,$" He snorted, "Ever since the king died, I knew I was forgetting something… Ahhhh, so it was you, Prince.$"

"You call yourself a vassal!?" Laharl yelled, a vein threatening to pop.

Etna patted Laharl's shoulder. "You know how demons are," She remarked, "You always say not to be so picky about the details."

Laharl gave her a poisonous glare. "I'm not a detail!"

Etna rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be so self-centered."

While exchange took place, Hoggmeiser was busy putting his wads of cash into a nearby safe. "I'm glad you refreshed my memory.$ It was nagging me like a fish bone stuck in my throat…$" He snorted.

Laharl actually had to be restrained by Etna and Flonne. "F-fish bone!? You…!"

Hoggmeiser locked the safe up and gave Laharl a bored stare. "Well, what do you want?$"

"Whaddya mean, what do I want?" Laharl repeated, calming down somewhat, "Now that my old man's dead, I'm the Netherworld's next Overlord!" He proclaimed, "I'm taking everything that's mine… And the rest of your fortune, too!"

At this, Hoggmeiser snickered. "Don't push your luck$" He snorted, "Just because you're the king's son, doesn't mean you can do what you want$" Hoggmeiser picked up a nearby axe and pointed at Laharl. "It's strength that counts in the Netherworld$ If you want what is now mine, you'll have to take it by force$"

Laharl grinned maliciously. "That's exactly what I had in mine! Enough talk; Let's go!"

Laharl whipped out his sword and lunged at Hoggmeiser, swinging down.

The Nether Noble blocked the assault with his axe handle, eventually pushing the Prince off.

"We don't want your little playmates getting bored," Hoggmeiser snorted. He snapped his fingers, "So we'll let them deal with my followers!"

Hoggmeiser snapped his fingers, and a battalion of martial artists entered the Hall.

"Impressive, aren't they?$" Hoggmeiser smirked, "They're just a sample of the army I'm building with my money. They're not like the guards you met on the way here, they're much more expensive$"

"Then they're overrated," Laharl sneered, "Etna! Take them out!"

"You heard him," Etna told the Prinny Squad, who charged the martial artists. Their paychecks were on the line, dood! While the two sides met, Etna walked over to Flonne, who was standing against the wall.

"You coming?" She asked the angel.

Flonne shook her head. "No. I want no part of this."

Etna shrugged. "Whatever. Hey, could you watch the king's picture for me?" She asked, laying the portrait against the wall. When Flonne nodded, Etna grinned. "Thanks!" And with that, Etna leapt at the brawl.

Flonne glanced at the portrait of Krichevskoy and sighed. ("Fighting over money and power…") She slid down into a sitting position. ("Were the angels right about demons…? If they really are evil, then…") Flonne hoped it wouldn't come to that. She, amazingly enough, liked Laharl.

Speaking of the spoiled brat, Laharl found himself in the midst of power struggle with Hoggmeiser, literally. The brute was trying to bring his axe down onto Laharl, who was forced to block with his sword.

"I don't know where you've been for two years$" Hoggmeiser grunted, "But you should've stayed there$"

Hoggmeiser smashed the axe down, hard. When the smoke cleared, there was a large crater in front of Hoggmeiser…but Laharl was gone!

"Huh?" Hoggmeiser snorted, looking around, "Where'd he go???$"

"Up here, piggy!" Hoggmeiser looked up- and got a boot to the face from Laharl.

"Owww!" Hoggmeiser groaned, clutching his eyes. Laharl landed a few feet away from him.

"You sure are slow!" Laharl mocked, "There's no way you can catch me on your own!"

Hoggmeiser snarled, and began to take multiple swings at Laharl. The Prince, however, easily dodged each attempt, ducking around to the Nether Noble's back.

"You're just going in circles, Hoggy!" Laharl taunted, and slashed at Hoggmeiser's back.

Hoggmeiser squealed in pain. "Soldiers!" He yelped, "Help me catch this brat!$"

Out from the Prinny Squad v. Martial Artist brawl taking place two spear carrying ones- and male and a female- popped out and rushed over to help their lord. Laharl didn't notice, having too much fun playing his own sadistic version of ring around the rosie. As Laharl leapt up to smash Hoggmeiser with his Burning Knuckle-

"Look out, Laharhl!"

-The two spear-weilders jumped up and smacked him down with their spears. He hit the floor with an unhealthy crash,

Meanwhile, Etna had just crawled out of the big brawl going on between her's and Hoggmeiser's forces.

"They're really tough…" She panted, "Hoggmeiser never settles for second-rate, alright…" She clapped her hands together. "Okay! Time for my secret trick. Prinny Raid!"

The rest need not be said. But for those who are a bit slow, let's just say performing Prinny Raid on an enemy near other Prinny's can lead to a…chain reaction of sorts.

Boom! Ba-boom! KABOOM!

When the smoke cleared, the martial artists lay in a blackened heap…along with the Prinny Squad.

"Master…Etna…dood…" One Prinny moaned, "Could you…not do that?"

"Nope!"

Back with Laharl, the young would-be Overlord was lying on the floor, while Hoggmeiser towered over him. On opposing sides, the spear-users charge at him.

"Heh… It's over, Krichevskoy's son!$" Hoggmeiser crowed, raising his axe.

Laharl, however, had other ideas. Just as the spear-users reached him, he grabbed the handles of their weapons and swung, slamming them into Hoggmeiser. While Hoggmeiser was only jarred, the two martial artists were knocked out instantly from colliding with his hard head. But Laharl wasn't finished yet.

"Burning Knuckle!!!"

With Hoggmeiser so close, he had no time to dodge, and received Laharl's fiery punch right in the gut!

FWOOM!!!

"Hmhmhm… You lose," Laharl taunted, standing on top of the spread out demon. "I'm taking everything, as promised!"

"Y-you can't!$" Hoggmeiser coughed, "I won't be able to survive without my money!$"

"Well then, I'll just finish you off now." Laharl raised his arm out, and his sword floated into his hand. He positioned the tip of the blade over Hoggmeiser's throat, causing the Nether Noble to squeal.

("How cruel…") Flonne thought, over by the wall, ("Not only is he taking his money, but his life, too…") She narrowed her eyes, ("I can't let this happen! If worse comes to worse, I'll stop him with my own two hands!")

Before anyone could act, a small voice rang out.

"Wait, you bully!!"

A little brute, looking and dressed like a miniature Hoggmeiser, rushed into the room, over to the greedy demon.

"Who are you?" Laharl demanded, "Hoggmeiser's son?"

The son didn't say anything, he merely grabbed Laharl's arm and squeezed.

"Let go," Laharl snapped, trying to shake the little demon off, "I won't go easy on you just because you're a kid."

Hoggmeiser's son didn't say anything. Laharl became curious.

"Hey, kid. Why are you risking your life for this greedy pig?" Laharl asked, "You wanna die?"

Still no answer. Not from the son, at least.

"Don't you understand, Laharl?" Flonne asked, walking up to the Prince. Under her arm she carried the portrait of Krichevskoy. "This is love."

"Here we go again…" Laharl sighed, rolling his eyes. "Love, love, love. Is that you've got in your puny little head?! You damn love freak!"

Flonne frowned. "You can call me whatever you want. But, why is it that you refuse to believe in love?" Flonne retorted, "You reject it because you're afraid of it! Isn't that right?"

Laharl didn't answer. Instead, he focused on the portrait she carried…

"_Laharl, my son." King Krichevskoy, Overlord of the Netherworld said._

_Laharl looked up from the comic he was reading. "Hm?"_

"_What do you think of me?" The King asked, "Do you love me?"_

_Laharl gave his father a cold look before going back to his comic. "No, I hate you." Was his answer._

_Krichevskoy shook his head, smiling. "Hm… A typical answer for a demon." He said, "Which is fine, for now. But, one day…"_

("Hmph… Now she's got me thinking about my old man…") Laharl mused, ("My old man, huh… What was he trying to tell me that time?") Laharl grunted. ("Hmph, this is stupid. Why am I even thinking about this?") He gave Flonne a glare. ("It's all that Love Freak's fault…!") Shaking his head, Laharl said, "Forget it. I've wasted enough of my time."

Etna stared at the scene, uncomprehending, and a little surprised. "Huh? You're not going to finish him?" She asked.

Laharl shrugged. "It wouldn't make me any richer." Shooting a look at the Prinnies (Who were just recovering…), he said, "Alright, start taking the good stuff!" Frowning, he then added, "But, make sure you love some behind for them."

Flonne felt a happy smile grow on her face, and a warm feeling well up inside of her. "Laharl…"

Laharl grunted.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

As Laharl's party left Dinero Palace, Laharl with a golden crown shaped like his hairstyle, the Prinny Squad with their sack full of loot, Etna with her portrait of the king, Flonne couldn't help but murmur, "Master Lamington, I finally understand. Those words you spoke to me…"

"_Master Lamington?" Flonne asked. She was visiting the Seraph in his garden._

"_What is it, Flonne?" Lamington asked, looking up from his fountain of koi fish._

"_The angels told me that the demons are all evil," She said, a sad look on her face, "Is that true?"_

"_What do you think?" The Seraph asked, a twinkle in his eye._

"_Hmmmm…" After a minute of thought, Flonne shrugged. "I've never met one, so I don't know."_

_Lamington chuckled at Flonne's innocence. "Listen carefully, Flonne," He said, "There is no such thing as absolute evil or absolute good. The angels assume that they are good and the demons are evil." He sighed. "That is an unfortunate misconception." He looked directly into Flonne's eyes. "Demons do have love. The angels…and in fact, most demons, just do not realize it. If we can guide them… If we can make them see, then one day…"_

"Master Lamington, I will accompany Laharl for a little while longer," Flonne spoke to the heavens, in hopes that her words would reach the Seraph. "He is selfish, self-centered and stubborn… And those aren't his only shortcomings." She closed her eyes and placed her hands over her heart. "But, I have discovered a hint of kindness in his heart. It may be small right now…" She opened her eyes and watched Laharl. "…but I have great hope that he will learn to love. So, Master Lamington…

"…please forgive my digression."

Episode 3

A Hint of Kindness

**End**

A/n: Annnd cut! Great job, people! You especially, Flonne, Laharl.

Hoggmeiser: Wait!$ (Snort)

A/n: What now?

Hoggmeiser: You never mentioned that I joined Laharl!$

A/n: Let's be honest. You are never mentioned in the story ever again in the game. There's really no point. I'd just like to be as simple as I can get away with in this novelization.

Hoggmeiser: (Snort) You're just lazy, is that it?

A/n: Look, if you're not going to be mentioned again in the game, you won't be mentioned in the story! Most novelizations get ruined when the writers try to go off on their own tangent and overcomplicate the storyline! I'll fill any blanks that I can, but for now, bear with me! There'll be lots of characters joining Laharl's party…when Captain Gordon and crew arrive. Until then, just stew, piggy. Go count some money.

Hoggmeiser: (Snort) Shouldn't we see the next episode?

-Episode 4 Preview-

Etna: Roaming the wild frontier, Etna is challenged by the Dark Chef Hao! A Cooking Battle Deathmatch begins that will shake the earth's foundation!

Prinny: Sounds cheesy to me, dood.

Etna: This week's dish: Cajun style gumbo! And the ingredient - the Prinny Squad!!

Prinny: Dood!? Us!?

Etna: Etna struggled to resist the powers of the dark side of cooking!! But then, Ajikage the Ninja Cook appears!!

Prinny: Dood, what in the world...?

Etna: Next _on Fire Chef Cooking Gal Etna_, Episode 4: _Etna 120%!!_ _With a pinch of murderous intent..._

Prinny Squad: You're hopeless, dood...


	4. Gift From An Angel

Night time in the Overlord's Castle. Everyone one of the Castle occupants was fast asleep…

"Our little Flonne… She managed to escape the grasp of the demons…"

The only one who wasn't asleep was in fact a visitor, though 'intruder' would be a better term. Vulcanus stepped lightly through the Castle halls, muttering to himself. When the Angel Trainee hadn't returned after some time, he had decided to investigate, despite the Seraph's assurances that everything was fine. Showed what _he _knew!

"Hmph! She probably used her feminine charm," the stern angel grumbled. "So… Krichevskoy was already dead," He mused, "What I don't understand is why Flonne hasn't returned to Celestia," Vulcanus' eyes widened as a horrible thought struck him. "Is it possible that she's trying to use the demons to gain control of Celestia!?" His eyes narrowed. "That's it! That has to be it! There's no other explanation!"

Vulcanus had a vision of demons- dressed as Japanese high school delinquents- riding through Celestia on motorcycles, throwing rocks through windows and knocking mailboxes off their posts, with Flonne at the head.

Vulcanus grunted. "I won't allow it! My plan shall not be interfered with!" He had put too much planning for one _trainee_ to muck up his designs. He needed to find Flonne, now!

"Still, this demon den is so filthy…" Vulcanus mused scornfully, stepping over a banana peel someone had left lying around. "It reeks of evil…"

Vulcanus would've had more to say, but his thoughts were cut off by him tripping over something. He was saved the indignity of hitting the floor by flapping his white wings. After regaining his balance, the stern angel turned and saw an album of some sort lying on the floor.

"Hm? What's this book?" Vulcanus frowned. "Don't demons know how to put things away when their done with them?"

Vulcanus reached and picked the book up. As he did, it fell open, revealing…

The stern angel's eyes widened at what he saw on the page. "What of book is this!? My god!! This page!" He turned a page, and went a little red in the face. "This page!!" He flipped threw the book, turning redder and redder, before beginning to sweat. "All these pages…!!! Hah… Hah…" He panted, transfixed. After a minuted, he realized what he was doing. "I mustn't! I mustn't fall for the demons' trap!"

Vulcanus slammed the book shut and stuffed it into a nearby garbage can, taking care to secure the lid on tight.

"Those cunning fiends!" He hissed, "But I, Archangel Vulcanus, will not fall for such a dirty trick!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"Flonne…" Vulcanus murmured, searching another corridor, "Where are you…?"

He was about to check another part of the castle when he heard it.

"Ah… whew…. Ah… whew…."

"Hm!?" Vulcanus looked around. It was coming from the room at the end of the corridor!

"I found you." Vulcanus grunted, "There's only one person who makes a noise like that when she sleeps!"

Entering the room, Vulcanus found a small table, a reading lamp, a dresser for clothes, and a single bed. And in that bed, dead to the Netherworld… Flonne.

Vulcanus looked over at her, her sleeping face, and then focused his gaze a bit lower.

"Flonne…" He grunted softly, "I'm taking your pendant."

Reaching down, with all the care and gentility of an expert safe cracker, Vulcanus slowly pulled a gold pedant, shaped somewhat like a sword, with a purple jewel in the center on a chain out from around Flonne's neck. Pocketing it, Vulcanus moved to leave, sparing the slumbering angel one last, scornful look.

"Rot in the depths of the Netherworld." He grunted, leaving.

Episode 4

Gift From An Angel

"A pendant?" Laharl asked.

Laharl, Etna, and Flonne were in the throne room that very morning. They were about to have breakfast, but Flonne had something more important on her mind than bacon (Made from some poor Brute) and eggs (Laid by a Dragon) that day.

"Yes…" She said wistfully, her eyes downcast, "It was gone when I woke up this morning."

"And what are you trying to say?" Laharl asked, closing his eyes, then opening them, "That one of us stole your pendant?"

"No…" Flonne answered, looking Laharl in the eye, "If it were you…you would steal it impartially, right?" One thing she learned about Laharl in the past few weeks was that subtlety was not his strong point. He didn't care what people thought of him.

Laharl didn't like the way she was staring at him. "Hm… S-so you do get it." He replied, trying not to let it get him. "Then, what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to…" Flonne paused, taking a deep breath, "…help me find my pendant…"

"Huh?"

That did it! Bad enough he had to put with her love crap, but now she was asking him for freebies!? Laharl's eyes turned red with anger. "Do I look like a servant boy to you?"

"No…" Flonne admitted, "But…"

It was then Etna noticed that something was off about Flonne. Her normally bright eyes were worn, her skin was pale, and her arms hung limply at her sides.

"What's wrong, Flonne?" the demon girl asked the angel, "You look tired."

"Y-yes…" Flonne said, leaning back against a pillar, "The Seraph gave me that pendant to me before I came to the Netherworld…" She paused, before continuing, "An Angel Trainee like me cannot stay in the Netherworld very long without that pendant… At this rate," Flonne held her heart, "I will lose all of my energy, and eventually die…"

Etna cocked her head, taking it all in. "Hmmmm, is that so?" She smiled cheekily, "Well, that sucks." Looking at Laharl, Etna asked, "Prince, whatcha gonna do?" She didn't really care what happened to Flonne. As it were, Flonne was just a diversion.

"Like I should care," Laharl answered, turning away from the girls. "She came to assassinate my old man in the first place." It didn't matter to him that he had been plotting against his dad before all that.

Etna shook her head. "That's our Prince," She said, "Even capable of turning his back on a helpless little girl."

For some reason, that bothered him. "O-of course…" He said, frowning. Why was Etna smiling like that…?

"L-laharl…"

The Prince turned to see that Flonne was staring at him. That bothered him even more. "W-what? It's the truth, isn't it?" He said a little more defensively than he should've.

"Laharl…" Flonne took a deep breath, "If you can find my pendant, I will give you something good."

Laharl was intrigued. "'Something good', you say?" After a moment, Laharl shrugged. "Hmph. If I wanted it, I'd just steal it from you."

"You would use violence on weak little me?" Flonne asked tiredly.

For some reason, Laharl felt like he was on trial, and it really bugged him.

"Give it up already! I'm a demon!" He yelled, "It doesn't matter who you are! Even if you were old, maimed or diseased!"

"…Fine," Flonne said, frowning, "Then my gift will never be yours…"

Laharl pondered on this. "…What's that supposed to mean?" He asked.

Flonne didn't answer. She was too tired…of too many things.

"Tell me!!" The Prince ordered, but the Angel Trainee remained silent. "Are you trying to provoke me?" Laharl asked, annoyed.

Etna stood to the side, impressed. Maybe it was the fatigued doing most of the work, but she had never seen anyone, much less a trainee, hold a standoff with the Prince.

At last, Laharl shrugged. "Hmph… Fine," He said, "I've got some time to kill."

Flonne smiled. "Laharl…"

"But!" Laharl interrupted, before Flonne could say anything mushy, "Let me make one thing clear. I'm not doing this for your sake!" He pointed at Flonne, "And when I find the pendant, that 'something good' is mine!"

"Thank you, Laharl." Flonne replied, unaffected by Laharl's materialistic motives.

This REALLY got the Prince worked up. "You're an angel!" He yelled, eyes going red. "You shouldn't be thanking demons. I do what I want, when I want!" He turned around and stomped off. "Remember that! Hmph!!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Laharl ordered an immediate search of the castle (Reminding Flonne that since it was his idea, HE would get the reward if someone else found the pendant), and proceeded to interrogate everyone he came across. After listening to a bunch of nonsense from Goleck, Manty(Who was upset that monster demons couldn't use weapons), Dratti, and Gargo(Who had some some tips about dealing with the Dark Assembly), he managed to find a lead from Ghoss.

"Now that you mention it," the Ghost said, "I did see a suspicious man prowling around last night."

Laharl raised an eyebrow. "And what did you do?"

"Watched quietly from a distance, of course." Ghoss answered.

Laharl wanted so very much to hit Ghoss, but didn't. Despite being near-useless, the Ghost had gave him a very crucial piece of information. A 'suspicious man'…

Putting whoever that was on the top list of subjects, Laharl went to the portal hall. As he was talking to Plenair, the gatekeeper to the Dark Assembly, Zommie mentioned something interesting.

"Some middle-aged man went to the 'Blazing Core' recently," the Zombie had said, "Is he a tourist?"

That time Laharl didn't bother to restrain himself. The slap he gave Zommie not only echoed throughout the room, but it also turned Zommie's head around. This was no big deal, as Zommie was among the undead, but readjusting it was a pain.

Laharl, after collecting Etna, Flonne, and the Prinny Squad, went to the Dimensional Gate, ready to follow this lead. A 'suspicious man' prowling and a 'middle-aged man' going to the Blazing Core on the night Flonne's pendant disappeared…if that wasn't a lead, he wouldn't know what was!

When they arrived at the portal, Fiona had a look of worry on her.

"Prince, this is a serious matter." She said to him, her eyes darting this way and that, as if she expected anything within eyesight to explode.

"What's wrong?" Laharl asked. He had never seen the Dimensional Gatekeeper so wound up before.

"Someone opened a gate to the Blazing Core without me knowing," Fiona explained, "Who could have done this…?"

Laharl didn't answer. Someone strong enough to open a portal without Fiona's help… "Maybe he knows where that pendant is." Laharl clenched his fist, a sly grin forming. "Alright! I shall find him and make him confess!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

True to its name, the Blazing Core was one of the hottest regions of the Netherworld, with lava rivers, volcanic geysers, the lingering stench of sulpher and brimstone. Etna hated areas like this, and made sure to let anyone listening how she felt.

"It's so hot here!!" Etna growled, feeling her sweat on her leather outfit, "What's with this place?!" Etna wiped her brow. "This is too much for me. I'm outta here."

Etna turned and was about to enter the portal back to the Castle when Laharl held her back.

"Wait," He said, "Look at this."

Laharl held up a white object that seemed to shine in the glow of the lava.

"A feather…?" Etna murmured, her heat-induced discomfort momentarily forgotten.

Flonne's eyes widened at the sight of the feather. "Let me see!" She cried, and snatched the feather from Laharl.

"What's so special about it?" Etna asked. So it was a feather. Big deal. Some bird must of left it here while passing through… funny how it wasn't burnt.

Flonne studied the feather in her hand, and said, "This is an angel feather."

Lahar cocked his head. "It's not yours, is it?"

Flonne shook her head. "No… It's size… and the aura it radiates…" She looked him in the eyes. "They are both superior to mine." She finished, her own tiny wings twitching, "This belongs to a high-level angel…"

Laharl shrugged. "Hmph, no wonder this place reeks of goodness."

Flonne looked worried. "But, I came to the Netherworld under the Seraph's secret orders," She said, "Why would another angel be here…?"

Etna took the feather from Flonne and studied it for a minute. Looking at Laharl, she asked, "Prince, you think that angel stole Flonne's pendant?"

"Hmm," Laharl hummed, "I'm surprised that a Love Freak like you would have enemies." He said to Flonne.

Flonne clenched her fists. "That is not possible!" She protested, "An angel would never steal my pendant…"

Laharl gave Flonne a firm look. "But, only angels know about that pendant, right?"

"W-well…" Flonne said, looking away. He DID have good point…

Laharl had the strange feeling that the subject was bothering Flonne, and for some reason, didn't like that. Shrugging, he said, "Ah… Forget it. We still have to find it, regardless." He put his hand behind his head and looked away. "I don't care what kind of trouble those Celestians stir up for themselves."

As he and the rest of the party moved onward, Flonne looked down at where the feather had been. Was it an angel who stole it…?

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

As the party moved on to an area in the Blazing Core called the Parched Ground, Etna fell on her butt, and took a big drink from a canteen.

"I wanna go home," the demon girl whined, "Why is it so hot? Now I'm all sweaty." Getting up she said to Laharl, "Prince, in this heat, Flonne's gonna shrivel up before we find the pendant."

Flonne looked over to the demons. "Huh? I'm fine." She reported, looking more okay than Etna was.

"How come?" Etna asked. Her eyes turned red with anger as a thought occurred to her. "I'm gonna kill you if you say that angels don't sweat or have to go to the bathroom." She swore, clenching her fist.

Flonne was a bit startled by Enta's sudden rage. She wanted to say that the reason Etna was so hot was due to the leather clothes she wore, but knowing that would get her killed, she said instead, "N-no. The medicine that a Prinny gave me seems to be helping."

Etna blinked. "Huh? One of 'em gave you medicine?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, "Prinnies aren't that nice… You must be hallucinating."

"No, it's true!" Flonne insisted, smiling, "I feel much better now."

Etna decided to cut to the chase and call Flonne's bluff. "Okay," She said, pointing to the Prinny Squad yonder, "Which one of 'em was it, then?"

Flonne looked to the Prinnies. "Ummm…"

"_Here."_

_Flonne looked up from where the feather had been and saw that a Prinny was holding out a small vial of some blue substance in its flipper. Flonne had a hard time looking at it directly, as it was standing next to a fire, and the glow of the flames hurt her eyes. _

"_This special potion will re-energize you," the Prinny said, "It won't replace your pendant, but it will make you feel better."_

"…They all look the same." Flonne admitted, sweating from more than the heat.

Etna gave her a look through half-closed lids.

"B-but it's true!" Flonne insisted.

"Yeah, yeah," Etna replied, waving her hand, "The heat must be getting to you, after all."

As the party moved onward, Flonne said wistfully, "I'm telling the truth…"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

The party continued on through the Blazing Core, following the trail 'radiant goodness' similar to the angel feather they found. In the Blazing Field, Laharl decided to ask Flonne something that had been bothering him.

"Hey," He said to Flonne, getting her attention, "For future reference, what kind of guy is this Seraph?"

Flonne blinked. "Future reference?" She repeated, confused. Why would Laharl care about who the Seraph was?

Laharl nodded. "Yeah. I may end up fighting him one day," he explained, "I'm looking for your pendant. The least you could do is tell me."

Flonne thought about this. "Well, I guess it's okay."

Etna shook her head. "No, it's not." Could Flonne get any dumber? What angel would tell an demon about the head angel?

Ignoring, Flonne said, "Well… Master Lamington, the Seraph, is a very kind person. He loves flowers and poems."

Laharl gave Flonne a weird look. "Now, wait a second…" He interjected, "I only wanna hear about his weak points…"

Etna, however, was impressed. Answering the question without actually revealing anything…maybe Flonne had some brains after all.

"Hmmmm," She murmured, "So you look up to the Seraph?"

"Yes, of course," Flonne answered, "Is there someone that you look up to?"

"Me?" Etna replied, "The late King."

Laharl gave Etna an mortified look. "What?! Then you don't look up to ME?"

Etna gave the Prince a big smile. "Nope."

Laharl's eyes turned red with fury. "Why you…!" He growled, "You call yourself a vassal!?"

Etna shrugged. "Yeah… Sorta." Just because she served him, it didn't mean she had to LIKE him.

Laharl grimaced. "Someone should teach you some manners…" He muttered, before yelling, "Enough of this! Let's find that pendant!"

Laharl stomped off, causing the ground the shake with each footstep.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

The absolute center of the Blazing Core, the 'Core of the Core' was the Molten Labyrinth, a twisted maze of lava flows.

It was here Vulcanus stopped. After taking Flonne's pendant, he journeyed to this place, where it could be properly disposed off. He couldn't take it back to Celestia, oh no… If he did, the Seraph might find it and put two and two together. But if it stayed in the Netherworld, hidden somewhere in this burning wasteland, then nobody would find it. And besides…

"Flonne is probably breathing her last breath now…" Vulcanus grunted, "She could have lived a long life, had she not been so ambitious."

Vulcanus had the demon gang fantasy again, but this one ended with Flonne falling off her bike and being trampled by the other demons.

He grunted. "That fool," An un-angel-like smile grew on his face. "No one can stop me now…."

It was at that moment that a strange, but divine, light began to emit from the pendant in his hand.

"W-what!? The pendant's shining…!" Then Vulcanus saw smoke waft up from his hand...

"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!" Vulcanus screamed, "Hot-hot!! Too hotttttttt!!!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"Hey, did you hear something?" Etna asked Laharl.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"I have no use for this anymore!" Vulcanus yelled, throwing the pendant into the fiery pits below.

The pendant bounced off of a few rocks, landing on a ledge. There was a geyser on the ledge, and when it went off, the pendant went flying, landing near a pumpkin-headed demon called a Lantern. The Lantern picked up the pendant, studied it, and gnawed on it, to see if it was made of real gold. Frowning as best his pumpkin head could allow, the Lantern threw the pendant away, where a passing Imp snatched it out of the air. The Imp flew around for a bit, the pendant hanging from its fangs by its chains, until the Imp opened his mouth a little bit more, causing the pendant to fall…

"Ow!!"

…Onto Mid-Boss.

"Oooooooohhh, that hurt…" Moaned the Dark Adonis, rubbing the nearly-formed bump on his head. Looking down, he saw a small object on the ground. "Who threw this? That was dangerous." Picking up the pendant, Mid-Boss studied it more carefully. "Hmmm? This is a beautiful pendant. It must be a gift from the heavens, a reward for my good behavior." Clutching the pendant, Mid-Boss looked skyward. "I thank you, o god…"

"Moron. What demon thanks a god?"

"Huh…?" Mid-Boss looked around, vexed. "Who just called _moi _a moron!?"

"Me." Laharl said simply walking up, the rest of his party close behind.

Mid-Boss smiled. "Oh, what a lucky day, indeed," He proclaimed, "To be able to confront my rival once again!"

Laharl gave Mid-Boss a weird look. "Wait a second. Since when did I become your rival?"

"Hey, it's Mid-Boss," Etna realized. She didn't recognize the demon until that moment. "Why're you still pestering us?" She asked, "We beat you already, remember?"

Mid-Boss growled. "You should never assume that I am dead!" He yelled, "Besides, my name is the Dark Adonis…"

The Prince and Etna were spared from Mid-Boss' tirade by Flonne, who saw a golden object in his hand.

"Ah! My pendant!" She realized.

"Hmmm?" Mid-Boss calmed down, looking away from Laharl to Flonne. "What a lovely _mademoiselle_. You recognize this pendant?"

Flonne quickly beat feet, running up to Mid-Boss. "Please, Mr. Mid-Boss!" She pleaded, "May I have the pendant? It's mine!"

The smile Mid-Boss had favored Flonne with vanished in an instant.

"Ugh! With all due respect," He said, frowning, "I prefer to be called the 'Dark Adonis'…"

Flonne tripped, falling face-first into the dirt. "I need it!" She whimpered, getting up, her face covered in soot, "I beg of you!"

Mid-Boss blanched at the sight of Flonne's tears and turned away. "I-I cannot do that, even at the request of someone so lovely," He said, leaping up onto a small hill, "I found this pendant. Therefore… It belongs to _moi_!"

Etna shook her head. "Man…" She sighed, "He's as low as the Prince."

"Shut up!" Laharl snapped, his eyes going red, "Don't put me on the same level as him!"

It was then that Flonne remembered something important.

"Oh my!" the angel gasped, "The pendant will punish those with a wicked heart," She looked up at Mid-Boss, "If you don't let go soon… you'll…!"

There was a brief pause as everyone awaited a bolt of lightning to come down and smite Mid-Boss, or something to that effect to happen.

…But it never did.

"Huh?" Flonne blinked.

"What's the deal here?" Laharl asked, confused, "Isn't he supposed to be punished?"

"Y-yes, he should be…" Answered Flonne, equally confused. "That's strange. Is it broken?"

Mid-Boss just laughed. "Haaahahahaha!!! Unfortunate, is it not?" He gloated, "The heavens would never punish such a pure heart as mine!" He whipped out a rose from somewhere and held it under his chin. "And to match such a beautiful heart, I was graced with the name 'Dark Adonis'!"

"Enough," Laharl said sternly, "I told you, you're 'Mid-Boss'."

Mid-Boss merely laughed it off. "Haaahahahaha!! Say what you wish!" He replied, "But, do not foolishly think that I am an ordinary mid-boss."

"Hey! You just admitted that you're a mid-boss." Etna interjected.

Mid-Boss glared. "Quiet!!" He snapped, "I shall crush you so that I never hear the name 'Mid-Boss' again!!" Calming down, he said, "Since last I lost to you, I mastered an incomparable technique. I have trained arduously for this moment!!" Taking a fighting stance, Mid-Boss proclaimed, "Now, prepare for your inevitable defeat!!"

Mid-Boss suddenly vanished from sight.

"Hey, where'd he go?" Etna asked, as everyone looked around.

They soon found out as something hit Laharl…HARD!

"Adonic Blast!" Mid-Boss' voice rang out, as multiple small explosions appeared on Laharl's body. Laharl was sent flying out into a river of lava, saved only by a small stepping stone poking out of the magma.

"Guh… He's gotten better…" Laharl conceded, wiping some blood off his lip.

"Haaaahahahaha! Where is your smart mouth now?" Mid-Boss taunted, landing on an pillar adjacent to Laharl, "Could it be you've gotten complacent since we last fought?"

"I'll show you!" Laharl roared, and leapt at Mid-Boss, sword in hand.

As the two demons clashed, Etna, Flonne, and the Prinny Squad watched from the sidelines.

"Oh, be careful, Laharl!" Flonne shouted.

"Eh, it'll be okay," Etna remarked, leaning back, "It's only Mid-Boss."

"B-but, if he were to drop my pendant in the lava, we'll never get it!" Flonne wailed.

"Oh, relax," Etna pointed, "See, they're not even above the lava now."

It was true, Laharl and Mid-Boss were now on a bridge over the lava river, trading blows.

"Adonic Punch!" Mid-Boss delivered a powerful punch into Laharl's chest, sending him back a pace. Growling, Laharl moved to counterattack.

"Burning Knuckle!" Laharl lunged at Mid-Boss, but the aptly-named character swiftly evaded the blow by flying upward. Hey, he had wings, what do you want?

"You will have to do better if you want to win this back for the _mademoiselle!_" Mid-Boss taunted, landing behind Laharl. Growling, Laharl spun around, power… evil power… flowing into his sword.

FWASH!

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Vulcanus looked up from the bucket of water he was cooling his hand in. What was that explosion…?

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"How do you like THAT?" Laharl asked, sheathing his sword, "I call that, the Winged Slayer."

The energy Laharl had unleashed from his sword, though it didn't travel far, but its blast radius was BIG. Mid-Boss couldn't move fast enough to escape, and was thus smited.

Mid-Boss, once again a smoldering shell of his former self, coughed. "Heh…" He chuckled sheepishly, "I shall show mercy on you for the sake of the lovely _mademoiselle_. But, let _moi _tell you this…" He began to hobble away, "My name is the Dark… Adonis…"

As see limped off, something shiny fell from his pocket, into the lava.

"Ahh!" Flonne shrieked, "My pendant!!"

Laharl dove in without a second thought. Several hours passed, and yet no sign of him could be found. Flonne stared into the magma with a sad look on her face.

"Don't make such a pitiful face."

Looking up, Flonne, Etna, and the Prinny Squad saw Laharl standing on the hill.

"Hmph…" He held out his hand to Flonne, showing the pendant. "Isn't this what you're looking for?"

"Laharl…!" Flonne could barely contain her glee at seeing the Prince, rushing up to him.

Laharl quickly turned his head away from the angel. "Hurry up and take it," He ordered, "My hand is burning."

Flonne jumped. She had forgotten about that!

"O-okay!" Flonne quickly snatched the pendant, and hung it around her neck.

Laharl, still not facing Flonne, smiled. "The pendant is telling me that my heart is wicked," He remarked, "That's good to know."

Etna was tempted to point out that the pendant had just recently been submerged in boiling lava, but thought better of it.

"Why…?" Flonne asked, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Why what?" Laharl repeated, facing Flonne.

Flonne took a step forward. "Why did you do all that for the pendant?" She asked. Laharl could've died…!

Laharl crossed his arms. "There's only one reason,"

Flonne blinked. "Huh…?"

The Prince gave Flonne a nasty smile. "To get that reward from you." He explained.

To his surprise, Flonne giggled.

"W-what's so funny?" Laharl demanded, a bit put off.

"Thank you, Laharl." Flonne said, smiling.

"S-stop it, already!" Laharl yelled, sounding almost frantic, "I told you not to talk like that! It's giving me the chills!" He thrust out an empty palm. "Just give me my reward!"

Flonne, however, looked confused.

Laharl's eyes turned red. "Uh, do I have to spell it out?" He growled, "The reward! Give me the 'something good' you promised me!"

"Oh, that," Flonne replied, "I already gave it to you."

"What?"

Flonne took a step back and held her hands to her chest. "Put your hand to your heart," She said, eyes closed, "Can you feel it? The warmth inside your heart…" She opened her eyes, smiling brightly, "You faced great danger to find this pendant," She said, "You pretend to be only evil, but there is definitely kindness in your heart. To give you the opportunity to realize that kindness… That is my reward for you." Flonne finished.

Throughout Flonne's little speech, Laharl's facial expressions had gone from confusion, to shock, ending in embarrassed fury.

"A-a-are you insane!?" He yelled, "How can you say something so crazy!?"

But Flonne wasn't put off by this. "Kindness is love," She explained, "The is near when you will awaken to love." She giggled.

Laharl, his face going red, whirled around. As he stomped off, he roared, "Unbelievable! I've been tricked by an angel!!" He shook his fist at Flonne over his shoulder. "Dammit! I'll remember this!!"

As Laharl took off to vent his fury on some random demon, Etna took this moment to applaud.

"Deceiving the Prince, huh? Not bad at all." Etna admitted. Who know angels could be so…sneaky?

Flonne, however, didn't seem to get what Etna was going at.

"Really?" She asked.

Etna cocked her head. "You look happy."

"Yes, I am," Flonne sighed, "I now know that there is love within Laharl's heart. And if there is love inside him, that means there is love inside all demons. One day, angels and demons could be friends. I couldn't be happier."

Etna shook her head in dismay. "Boy, that theory is a bit out there," She sighed, "You really are a Love Freak." She smirked. "But, you're bound to be disappointed if you keep expecting things to turn out so cheery." She held her hand, pretending to grip something. "Most demons would choke you from behind without a second thought."

While the Prinnies looked shocked, Flonne wasn't so sure.

"Hmmmm. Are you like that, Etna?" Flonne asked.

Etna shrugged. "Maybe. You'll find out soon enough." She giggled.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

On a hill overlooking area, Vulcanus had witnessed the entire scene.

"Damn that Flonne…!" He growled, "She managed to survive! She may be a tougher adversary than I first thought." He clenched his fist. "It seems that she IS in fact manipulating those demons to do her bidding. I must return to Celestia and devise a new plan…" Walking off, he glared at the smiling Flonne. "Consider yourself lucky this time…" He muttered, "But I, Vulcanus, shall emerge victorious in the end!!"

He began to walk off, but stopped and looked back.

"Got that?!" He hissed, "Don't forget it, even if I don't make an appearance for a while! Promise me!!"

Episode 4

Gift From An Angel

**End**

A/n: Episode 4…done! I hope I did it justice!

Laharl: You didn't! You left out all the fighting I did before running into Mid-Boss!

A/n: I felt it was unnecessary. I wanted to concentrate on the depth of your relationship with Flonne.

Laharl: ! We don't HAVE a relationship!

A/n: Of course you don't. Anyway, what's happening next, Etna?

-Episode 5 preview-

Etna: Introducing the Netherworld Baseball League's most notorious losers, the Rotten Peaches!! In their first game of the season, they'll face last year's champs, the Dark Durians!!

Mid-Boss: Their names are quite unique.

Etna: One by one, the Rotten Peaches are losing their already shaky confidence...at the hands of the merciless Dark Durian Nine!!

Mid-Boss: Let us all play fair now.

Etna: Out of the shadows of the dugout, Etna, a mysterious pinch-hitter appears!! Awakening the Rotten Peaches' true baseball spirit, Etna's soul burns brightly!!

Mid-Boss: You shouldn't play with fire.

Etna: Next on _Mighty Slugger Etna_, Episode 5: _The Miracle Full Base Hat Trick_! Kick off into tomorrow!!

Mid-Boss: Huh? Is this not baseball?


	5. Etna's Secret

"So, yeah, I got pissed and kicked him right there." Etna said, in the midst of a tale about her last boyfriend (Or guy she was mooching off of, if you want to get technical).

"There?" Flonne asked, confused, "Where is there?"

Etna rolled her eyes. Were all angels this clueless and naïve, or just the ones sent into the Netherworld? "You know…" Etna prodded, and quickly whispered something into Flonne's ear.

The Angel Trainee's eyes went wide with shock, and her cheeks turned red. "Oh my! …So, what happened after that?"

"Well, of course…" Enta continued.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

It was one fine day in the Netherworld when the post-demon slipped a bundle of envelopes through the mail slot of the Overlord's Castle. Ghoss, who was passing by, picked up the pile and began to look through them.

"Bill… Jury duty… ransom note…" Ghoss muttered as he checked each envelope, "Catalogue… bill… special letter for Laharl… Huh!?"

Checking that last letter again, Ghoss saw that it was indeed for Laharl. What made it special was that the lettering was in a deep red, blood perhaps, there was no return address, save for a skull with batwings, and the edges of the paper seemed to be burnt. Realizing that this was indeed something of vast importance, Ghoss did the only logical thing to do; He ripped open the letter at once. Unfortunately, it was at that moment that a breeze from a nearby open window blew contents of the envelope out of his hand before he could get a good look. The paper flew down the corridor, carried by 'the winds of fate', passed the entrance to the Dark Assembly…

….over the heads of some working Prinnies…

…around a suit of armor that a Gremlin was sleeping in…

…and ultimately, into the rec room, where Etna and Flonne were waiting their turn at the air hockey table.

"Hm?" Etna looked at the picture lying at her feet, its image blocked by some sunlight from a nearby window.

"What is that?" Flonne asked, "A photo?"

Etna shrugged. "Someone must've dropped it." She bent down to pick it up, and when she did, both she and Flonne got a good look at what it was a picture of.

For a moment, silence, as their jaws dropped. And then…

"Ahahahahaha!!" Etna threw her head back, clutching her stomach, dropping the photo.

"Oh, my…!" Flonne squealed, picking it up. "Is this Laharl…?"

Flonne began to giggle, before rolling into a laugh as loud as Etna's.

Etna calmed down long enough to notice something. "Hmm? There's something written on the back."

It was at that moment that Laharl burst in.

"What are you two laughing about?" He demanded, "I can hear you two from across the castle."

Etna cracked mischievous smile. This was going to be priceless! "B-b-but Prince," She said, shaking from holding in her laughter, "Look at this… Ahahaha, oh my god!!!"

Etna took the photo from Flonne and held it out to Laharl.

Laharl scoffed. "It's just a picture. What's so…"

Then he saw it. The contents of the photograph. He turned red, white, blue, and green while his jaw dropped, and his hair stood on end.

"I didn't know you were into that kind of thing," Flonne giggled, "I'm a bit shocked." Who knew that Laharl liked-

"W-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-what is this!?" Laharl screamed, snatching the photo from Etna. He glared at it with such intensity it might have burst into flames. The fact that it didn't came as quite a shock.

Etna, calming down, said, "It's a humiliation photo of you."

"I can see that!!" Laharl snapped, "But who the hell took it!?"

Etna shrugged. "How should I know?" She asked, looking away. "By the way, something's written on the back."

"What…?" Laharl turned the photo over, and began to read the message entailed;

"_Dear Prince Laharl,_

_An embarrassing photo of you is in my possession: I await your arrival in_

_Jotunheim. _

_If you choose to decline my challenge, copies of the photo will be scattered_

_throughout the Netherworld._

_"It is my wish to contend for overlordship in a fair, agreeable manner."_

"Dammit!!" Laharl tore the photo into pieces before incinerating the shreds in a hand-held inferno. "'Fair, agreeable manner'…!? This is playing dirty!"

"But, isn't that the demon way?" Etna asked him.

Laharl gave her a mean look. "True…" He admitted, albeit grudgingly, "But, this crosses the line!!"

"…So? Are you going or not?" Etna asked, giving Laharl a thoughtful look. "It's definitely a trap."

Laharl crossed his arms. "Of course I'm going!" he snapped, "If this picture is spread throughout the Netherworld, I'll be ruined!" Who would fear an Overlord who liked- "Whoever you are, just you wait!" Laharl snarled, visualizing the untimely and painful demise of this challenger, "I'll chare you and your paparazzi shots in the eternal flames of hell!"

Episode 5

Etna's Secret

As Laharl threw together a search party (consisting mainly of himself, Flonne, Etna, and the Prinny Squad) Etna quickly excused herself from the action. Making her way to the a corner in the hallway between the throne room and the portal room, Etna opened a hidden door, painted to look like the rest of the wall. Behind the door was a small room, completely empty save for four things; A table, a lantern, a pen, and a notebook.

This was the special sanctuary Etna had made for herself, the hideaway she went to whenever she wanted to be alone, with her thoughts. Etna opened the journal, _her _journal, up and began to read, starting with the first entry, titled, 'My Memory';

_This is my secret room… Only I know how to get here…_

_This is where my most precious memories were locked away…_

_That I remember, but I can't remember what they were…_

_When I try to remember, my heart aches…_

_This pain is proof of how dear those memories are…_

_I have to get them back…_

Etna cringed, clutching her chest. She had written that entry only days before Laharl had woken up. Doing her best to ignore the pain in her heart, she turned the page to read the next entry, titled, 'Feelings of Guilt';

_A certain demon stole my memories... There's something he wants me to do in_

_exchange..._

_I'd do just about anything to get my memories back..._

_But, would the King forgive me...?_

_That's my only fear..._

That had been written after she and Laharl had raided Vyers Castle. The next entry, 'the Celestian Visitor' read;

_A funny angel arrived from Celestia recently..._

_She has orders from the Seraph to assassinate the King..._

_But, the King died two years ago... What a bonehead..._

_Anyway, if she gets in my way, I'll have to get rid of her..._

Etna allowed herself an amused smile. Flonne's appearance in the Netherworld had caused a slight shake-up, mostly because Laharl had allowed her to stay at the castle. What kind of demon allows an angel sanctuary? Would the King have done the same?

Frowning, Etna turned the page, reading the entry she titled, 'The Portrait';

_I saw a portrait of the King in Hoggmeiser's palace..._

_My heart aches when I look at his Majesty's face..._

_Do my memories have something to do with the King...?_

_I'll find out soon enough..._

_Just a little longer until I get my memories back..._

She hated it. She hated having these feelings and not knowing why. Only weak-minded simpletons felt for no reason. She was not weak!

Taking the pen, Etna began to write the newest entry, titled, 'Doubt and Decision'.

_This is all for my memories..._

_It won't do any good feeling guilty now..._

_I have nothing more to lose..._

_Who cares about anyone else...? I have my own way of life..._

_No one's gonna get in my way..._

_This is my only option..._

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"Where are they?!" Laharl roared, causing the castle to shake.

He had been in the middle of de-briefing the Prinny Squad on the photo retrieval mission (Which simply was a speech on what he would do to whoever was responsible for that picture of him-!) when realized that both Etna AND Flonne had vanished!

"It's bad enough that Etna's always coming and going, but now Flonne too!?" Laharl bemoaned. What was the point of having underlings that wouldn't sit still!?

"Whoever sent that challenge must have a lot of confidence," Manty commented from across the room, watching Laharl rant and fume. When he got like that, nothing short of a miracle could calm him down.

"That's it!" Laharl snapped, "I'm going without them!"

"Without who?" Flonne asked.

Laharl jumped- and whirled to face the angel.

"Where have you been!?" He demanded, "Can't you see we have an emergency here!?"

"Making hot chocolate," Flonne replied, holding a thermos out for the Prince to see. "Zommie told me it's so cold in Jotunheim that your blood freezes, so I thought it might be a good idea to pack something warm."

Laharl gave her a glare that would melt stone. "This isn't a picnic! What were you thinking!?" He glared a little more, before asking, in a somewhat reluctant tone, "Can I have some?"

"No, it's for later."

Laharl fumed a little more, while Dratti walked by. Watching the Prince ask, forcefully ask, and finally order Flonne to give up some hot chocolate, the Dragon couldn't help but remark, "From one thing to the next… It must be hard, Prince."

Laharl looked at her. "If you think so, then lend me a hand." He could use a dragon in his team, come to think of it.

Dratti however, simply chuckled. "Haha, that's a good one."

As Dratti strolled away, whistling, Laharl finally lost what little patience Flonne's return had granted him.

"I've had it! We're going NOW!" He roared.

"Finally! You sure take a while to get ready, Prince." Etna commented.

Laharl didn't even bother to jump and turn around this time. He just roared, "WHERE THE HELL HAVE **YOU**BEEN!?"

"In the bathroom," Etna replied, "Well, are we gonna get that blackmailer, or what?"

"Damn right we are!" Laharl declared, "Let's get him! To Jotunheim!!"

As they marched to the Portal Room, they passed Ghoss.

"Ah, Prince," Ghoss said, "I heard about the embarrassing photos," He giggled, "I never thought that a demon like you would be into that kinda stuff."

Laharl clutched his forehead, "How could this be happening…?" He moaned, "My life will be over if those pictures get out…!"

When they reached the Dimensional Portal, something was bothering Fiona.

"The location specified in the challenge was Jotunheim, correct?" She asked, frowning.

"Why? Is something wrong?" Laharl queried.

Fiona glanced at the swirling vortex behind her, uneasy. "Well… the gate that leads there is being opened from the other side," She said, "It's as if someone were waiting for you, Prince…"

Laharl knew in an instant that the culprit must be the blackmailer. "Hmph. A confident foe, isn't he?" He remarked, and smiled. It wasn't a pretty smile. "Very well! This may be a trap, but I'll enjoy it anyway!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Jotunheim.

An area in the frozen part of the Netherworld, very much like the Frozen River. However, it was much, much, colder than the Frozen River, due to the fact it was snow covered land than frozen water. It was considered by all as a 'good place to die', as there was plenty of snow to be buried in. It was widely believed that if you died in Jotunheim five years ago, your corpse would still be whole, kept fresh by the sub-zero temperatures…if the cadaver wasn't eaten by Gremlins.

Laharl and his party appeared in an area of Jotunheim that had a large amount of Gremlins in it, but since the little imps were taking their afternoon siesta, they were of no bother to our 'heroes'.

"Brr!" Flonne shivered, "It IS cold! I'm glad I packed that hot chocolate!" She quickly took a sip from the thermos.

"So, Prince," Etna said, taking a sip of the hot chocolate herself. "Where should we look?"

"Hmm…" Laharl thought it over, taking a sip from the hot chocolate. "Search the area!" He ordered, "We'll find a sign sooner or later!"

"There's one, dood." A Prinny said, pointing behind Laharl.

Laharl turned around to see a big, wooden, arrow hammered into the ground, pointing ahead. On it, someone had written 'DEAR PRINCE- GO THAT WAY'.

Laharl nodded. "That'll work. Let's move!"

Flonne sweated. "That seems a little TOO obvious…"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"So… He is here.

"Hmhmhmhm…

"What a fool, to come knowing it's a trap…

"Begin phase 1!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

When Laharl and company arrived in an area called Endless White, they found themselves confronted by a small band of Imps. There was a moment of silence as the two groups stared at each other.

"…Who are these guys?" Laharl asked after a minute of this solitude, "I was looking forward to seeing what terrifying trap awaited me, but instead I find these puny little demons."

A lone Imp stepped forward.

"What?" Laharl sneered, "You got something you want to say?"

"A wonderful life." The Imp said.

Laharl flinched. A second Imp stepped forward.

"World peace." It said.

"Gahh!!" Laharl grunted, cringing. A third Imp went forward.

"Let's all be friends." It said.

"S-stop that!!" Laharl yelled, stumbling back. A fourth Imp came up.

"Girls take initiative." She said, even though there was no way to tell its gender.

Laharl actually flew back as if struck by an invisible hand. "Gwaaaaaaahhh!!" He wailed, landing in front of Flonne.

"Laharl?" Flonne bent down to help the Prince up, concerned. He was acting very strange. She turned to Etna for answers. "What's wrong?"

Etna glanced at Laharl and shrugged. "Oh, him? He hates it when people are optimistic."

"Hmmmmm, is that so?" Flonne gave Laharl a curious gaze. "Let's see…" Taking a deep breath, she said, "Eternal love!"

Laharl fell back and began to writhe in the snow. "Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!!!!" He screamed, "The most dreaded word in existence…" Panting, he glared up at Flonne, his eyes full of hate and betrayal. "Y-you… You trying to kill me!?"

"But, that's my favorite word…" Flonne replied weakly, confused. She knew Laharl disliked hearing about love and peace, but this was ridiculous! Laharl, meanwhile, was glaring at the Imps.

"Dammit…" He hissed, "How did they know my weakness…?"

Leaping into the air, he began to charge up for a powerful attack.

"I'll just destroy you all before you can say anything!" he yelled, "Winged Slayer!"

Laharl plowed into the Imp horde, creating a small crater in the snow. But to his surprise, the Imps were getting back up!

"What!?" He cried, shocked.

"Wow, I can't believe they survived that," Flonne commented.

"The Prince's power probably went down after hearing all those optimistic words," Etna commented. Imps were notorious for being among the Netherworld's weakest demon types. The only reason they survived was due to Laharl's lowered strength. "We better step in before he keels over."

As Etna, Flonne, and the Prinny Sqaud moved in, the Imps were busy surrounding Laharl, saying optimistic phrases at random.

"Friendship is beautiful." One said.

"Urg!" Laharl grunted. He raised his sword to slice the Imp when another said, "Love makes the world go round."

"Argh!" Laharl actually fell to his knees. The Imps leaned in, ready to finish him off with one chorus of optimism when Flonne's voice echoed throughout the snow.

"Leave Laharl alone, you bullies!"

A double blast of shining arrows and Prinnies blew the Imps away, reducing the demons to ash. Now Laharl was alone, covered in soot from being to close to the explosions.

"Here, Laharl," Flonne said, running up to him, "Let me heal you with the Power of Love!"

As Flonne did her healing, Laharl glared at her, huffing.

"Are you alright, Laharl?" The angel asked once the healing was done.

"B-barely…" The Prince muttered, standing up, "You nearly finished me by saying that."

Flonne smiled. "You mean eternal lo…"

"Stop!!" Laharl thundered, his eyes going red. Calming down, he fixed Flonne with a suspicious look. "You're doing that on purpose, aren't you?"

While Etna personally enjoyed Laharl and Flonne's little moments (And teasing him for them afterward) she knew this wasn't a good place for it.

"Prince, this isn't the time to be fooling around," she said, stepping between the two, "We have to get that photo back."

"You think I don't know that?!" Laharl snapped, stomping ahead. As he moved on, he gave Flonne a good push in the snow.

Etna looked away, a guilty look on her face.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In Celestia, Seraph Lamington watched what was happening in his fountain with his partner.

"Are you sure that we can allow this to continue?" Lamington asked.

"If I thought something needed to be done, I would have done it long ago," The partner said, "…I have faith in her."

Lamington didn't say anything. He just closed his eyes and shook his head. The partner chuckled.

"You worry endlessly," The partner teased, "But, I understand. I shall take measures, just in case."

The partner vanished, leaving Lamington to his thoughts.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Laharl's party, meanwhile had just entered the Terrible Cold.

Laharl was worried. Whoever was behind this blackmailing plot knew one of his secret, and embarrassing, weaknesses. What if this demon knew his OTHER weakness? Before he could go along that line of thought any further, a hint of movement caught his eye. In fact, many hints of movement caught his eye. Large hulking balls of white fur lumbered into view.

Snow monsters!?

Laharl was actually quite relieved. Maybe the blackmailer didn't know his other weakness after all…

Then, the snow monsters began to…take off their furs?! They were actually giant fur coats, hiding the true forms of the attackers!

"What a cute little boy." A curvaceous Succibus giggled, as she, other Succubi, and Nekomatas revealed their alluring bodies.

Succubus (Succubi in the plural) were sexy female demons, who used their sexual charm and hourglass figures to their best advantage. They often dressed scantily, revealing as much of their bodies that could be allowed, usually in stripes of leather. Coupled with their bat wings and devil tails, they often lured men into their clutches at night, stealing their energy.

Nekomatas were of similar body-shape, but rather than bat wings and devil tails, they had cat ears, fluffy tails, and claws. Unlike Succubi, Nekomatas were somewhat more feral, and did not bother to use the allure of their bodies, instead preferring to pound their enemies silly with martial arts.

These were the enemies Laharl and company were facing, and any normal man would thank whatever gods ruled this universe for their good fortune.

Laharl, on the other hand, let loose with a blood-curdling and jumped back from the Succubus that had giggled at him. Unfortunately, this put him closer to ANOTHER Succubus, to which he screamed and jumped back into place.

"Laharl, why are you screaming?" Flonne asked, dismayed.

"I-I don't know why…" Laharl groaned, his face turning purple, "But for some reason, I can't stand women with sexy bodies," He paused to look between Flonne and Etna, both of which were watching him with worry (Flonne) and resignation (Etna). "On a side not… Flat-chested girls like you have absolutely no effect on me." He assured, taking some comfort from their underdeveloped bodies.

This, however, was the WRONG thing to say. Etna's eyes turned red, while an unholy fire sparked in Flonne's eyes.

"Well, excuse us for being flat!!" The flat-chested ones screamed into the Prince's ears.

As Laharl tried to stop his ears from ringing, he heard (but barely) a sinister chuckle.

"Hmhmhm… Hahahahaha!!"

Looking up, he saw a figure standing on a stack of ice blocks…that wasn't hourglass shaped, or feminine in any way.

It was a Vampire, a type of demon that just barely resembled a human, dressed in noble clothing. The difference between a Vampire and human-class demon was its deathly pale skin, and oversized canines…fangs. Vampires drank blood from their victims, and turned into bats to escape from danger…or to just scare people. It depended.

Laharl, thankful for something to distract him from the sexy demons, glared up at the newcomer. "Y-you're…!"

"It has been a while, Prince," The vampire said, his fangs gleaming in the light, "Do you still remember me?"

"How could I forget you?" Laharl replied, leaning onto Flonne for support, "You're Maderas, the vassal who was banished from the castle for eating my old man's favorite snack, black pretzels."

Flonne looked up at the terrifying figure that was Maderas, and sighed. "Now that's what I call 'pathetic'."

"So, black-pretzel-snatcher-slash-outcast," Laharl said, regaining some strength from being near Flonne's flat chest ("Hey!" Flonne yelled), "What is it that you want from me now?"

Maderas shrugged. "I wish to become Overlord, of course." He said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the Netherworld.

Laharl scoffed. "Hmph, what a joke. What could you, a pathetic loser banished for stealing pretzels, possibly do to me?"

Maderas shook his head. "Stop talking so tough, Prince," He said, "I know all of your weaknesses," He looked over Laharl's head, "Isn't that right, Etna?"

Laharl spun around, taking Flonne along for the ride ("Wah!")

"Etna… You…!?" Laharl growled softly, glaring.

Etna turned away, a sad look in her eyes.

Maderas laughed evilly. "You just realized it? Fool!" Maderas gloated, "Yes… Etna is my loyal dog," He held out his palm, and strange ball of light, with pictures floating inside, appeared. "As long as I hold her memory in my hands, she'll do whatever I ask."

Etna turned back, looking at the memories with a longing expression that no one had seen on the normally head-strong demon girl.

"Etna…?" Flonne asked softly, feeling sorry for her friend.

"Now, dear Prince…" Maderas chuckled, "This place shall become your grave," He directed his gaze at Etna. "Etna, you've served your purpose," He held up the memories even higher, "I am quite pleased with the results." (Etna gasped, looking hopefully at the memories) "Now, die alongside your Prince."

Etna pushed past Laharl, her eyes tearing up. "But we had a deal…!" She yelled, "What about my memory!?"

"What use are memories to you," Maderas said, tucking the memories into his coat, "When you are about to die? Hmhmhm…! Hahahahaha!"

In a flash of darkness, Maderas vanished. With him gone, Laharl turned his attention to Etna.

"…It all makes sense now," He said, crossing his arms, "No wonder he knew my weaknesses. You took those photos too, didn't you?!" He accused, pointing.

Etna turned away, looking hurt.

"Laharl…" Flonne said to him, "It was only because that demon stole her memory…"

"Silence!" Laharl yelled, clenching his fist, "I accept no excuses from a traitor!" He heard some giggles, and remembered the Succubi sashaying around, while the Nekomatas prowled. "Stop blabbering and get these sexy women out of my sight!!"

"Oh, we're not THAT bad to be around, right girls?" One of the Succubi snickered. She snapped her fingers. "Girls, let's show our young Prince here a good time."

The Succubi and Nekomatas quickly encircled Laharl, trapping him in what most men would consider heaven...Laharl, however, thought it was hell.

"Auuugh… Ack… Ugh…" Laharl groaned, his face turning multiple shades of green.

"Laharl!" Flonne cried, and whipped out her staff. Rushing up to the marshmallow hell in progress, Flonne swung her staff onto one of the Nekomatas.

CLANG!

The staff merely bounced off of the cat woman, causing no visible harm whatsoever.

"Huh?" Flonne began to repeatedly hammer her staff into the Nekomata, to no avail. "Hey, what's going on? I can't hurt her!"

"Me neither!" Etna yelled, jabbing her spear into a Succubi. "In fact, none of them are getting hurt! What gives!?"

"Maybe you little girls should mature a little before fighting women like us." A Succubi teased.

Etna and Flonne both understood the implications of that sentence and fumed. While fuming, Etna noticed something about the ground.

"Hey!" She cried, eyes going wide, "The entire area's under a Geo Effect!"

"What kind?" Flonne asked, turning to Etna.

"Invincibility!" Etna replied, suddenly understanding, "that's why we can't hurt those sexy women!"

It was at that moment that the Nekomata and Succubus that the girls were trying to hurt got annoyed.

"You flat girls bore us." The Nekomata said calmy, swinging her leg out, catching Flonne in the chest. At the same type, the Succusbus jutted her rear out, shoving Etna so hard that the demon girl went flying. The two girls landed in a snow bank, a few yards away from the pile.

"Oof! It's cold!" Etna shivered, feeling some snow go into places she didn't know she had.

"Wait…" Flonne said, getting up. She felt the place where the Nekomata had kicked her. "It doesn't hurt." Her eyes brightened as an idea hit her. "Does this mean we're invincible, too?"

"Guess so," Etna shrugged, squirming. "But that won't help the Prince."

"Huh?"

"Look." Etna pointed into the center of Laharl's hell. The Prince had gone into a comatose state, with only a thin line of drool escaping his mouth. He moaned pitifully.

"The Prince won't last long, caught up in that," Etna continued, "We need to pull him out, now."

"Got it." Flonne nodded, clenching her fists. Then she realized something. "Aren't we missing someone…?"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Up ahead, the Prinny Squad marched away from the Terrible Cold, to where Maderas was.

"Are you sure we should be doing this, dood?" One Prinny asked.

"Not really," Another said, "But we have our orders, dood."

And so, they marched on…

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Back in the Terrible Cold, Laharl's situation hadn't changed in the slightest. If anything, he looked even worse than before.

"Maderas wasn't kidding," One Succubus remarked, "Being around our bodies really has hurt him."

"Yeah, but are we really supposed to just cuddle him until he croaks?" A Nekomata asked, "I'm not sure I can wait that long. Can't we just kill him in his weakened state?"

"No, you dummy," Another Nekomata snapped, "We can't kill him because of the Geo Effect. It may not stop his body from reacting to our sex appeal, but it'll keep him safe from our attacks! We'll just have to wait until he dies."

"Can't we just move outside of the Effect area and kill him there?" The first Nekomata asked plaintively.

"Maybe," A Succubus grinned malevolently, "But first…"

The Succubus held Laharl's face and brought it closer to hers. "I've always wanted to kiss royalty!" She giggled.

Laharl made noise that sounded distinctly like "Eeg!" the Succubus was millimeters away from contact.

Then a snowball hit her.

"Hey!" The Succubus growled, wiping the snow off her face, "Who's the wise guy?"

Pretty soon the pile was showered with snowballs.

"What's going on!?" Another Succubus cried.

"It's probably those flat girls!" A Nekomata sneered before getting a face full of slush, "Bleh! You brats'll have to do better than that!"

It was at that moment that a giant snowball, more akin to a snow_boulder_ rolled into the pile, effectively pulling the sexy demons off of Laharl. The Prince lay in the snow with a dazed, seasick expression on his face.

"Well, they asked for it," Etna grinned, as she and Flonne ran up to the Laharl. Lifting him up from one side while Flonne took the other, she said, "C'mon, we gotta get out of the effect area!"

As the two girls hauled Laharl away, the sexy demons were recovering from the snowboulder. A Nekomata regained enough sense to see Laharl being towed away by Etna and Flonne, and know what it meant.

"Hey, he's getting away!" She yelled, pointing, "After them!"

The Succubi took to the sky, while the Nekomatas went after the trio on all fours.

Back with the trio, Laharl was quickly regaining strength. Not being smushed between sexy women and not looking at them had allowed a quick recovery.

"Let me down," He grunted, squirming, "I can walk by myself now."

However, the minute Etna and Flonne put Laharl down, a Nekomata burst out of the snow. Before any of them could react, she drop-kicked Laharl into the air. While air-born, Laharl was caught by a pair of Succubi, who were quick to sandwich themselves around him.

"Not again!" Laharl wailed.

"Laharl!" Flonne cried.

"Quick, give me a boost!" Etna yelled.

Flonne bent down, and, acting as makeshift springboard, pushed Etna up into the air. Flapping her wings, Etna flew up to where Laharl was being held and grabbed his leg. The added weight caused Laharl to slip through the grip of his curvy captors and the two landed on Flonne.

"Let's go!" Etna yelled, pushing Laharl off. They were almost to the edge of the Geo Effect area…!

Behind them, the sexy demons were quickly catching up. The expressions on their faces suggested violent intentions, and the Nekomata were especially eager to act on those intentions.

"We made it!" Flonne cheered, dropping Laharl as she and Etna left the Geo Effect area.

"Lucky you." A voice as sweet as poisoned honey said.

Flonne and Etna suddenly realized that they were once again surrounded by the sexy demons. Flonne instinctively squeezed Laharl.

"So nice of you to leave the invincibility area," One Nekomata snarled, "Now we can just kill you and be done with it!"

"Maybe not ALL of them." The Succubus who had tried to kiss Laharl said, eying the Prince. Flonne squeezed even tighter.

"What do we do?!" She squeaked.

"Maybe you could…" Laharl raised his fist, which was glowing with a monstrous heat. "LET ME GO!!"

KRA-BOOM!

When the dust settled, Flonne and Etna were covered in soot.

"You trying to strangle me or something?" Laharl demanded, glaring at the angel, "Don't squeeze so hard!"

"That hurt…" Flonne coughed.

"Yeah… But good job, Prince!" Etna said, looking around. "You beat all of them!"

All around them were the burnt and beaten bodies of the sexy demons. They had gotten caught in the explosion and the shock knocked them out.

"Huh…" Laharl said, gazing at his handiwork, "I must've gotten an energy boost or something from being near Flonne's flat chest…"

At that, Flonne's cheeks went pink, and her eyes narrowed. Grabbing Laharl, she slammed his head into the snow.

"So, where do you suppose Maderas is?" Flonne asked, looking up.

Before an answer could be made, a small beeping emitted from somewhere. Etna pulled out a small hell phone from her pouch.

"Uh huh? Yeah? Cool. See you there." Etna hung up and pocketed her phone. Looking at Flonne and the semi-frosted Laharl, she said, "We've got a lock on Maderas!"

"Where is he?!" Laharl growled, wiping the snow from his face.

"He went…" Etna pointed to the left, "…Thataway!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

On a hill called Ice Queen, in a throne made from packed snow, Maderas sat, waiting for his 'sexy demon squad' to call him, telling him that Laharl, Etna, and that angel- what was her name?- were dead. With Laharl gone, that would be the end of the royal line, and no one, not even those old-fashioned diehard monarchists would complain when he took control. He would have Laharl's body stuffed, and put on display, accompanied by that photo. After all, he would mourn the loss of a small child who liked-

"Hey! Maderas!"

Maderas was brought out of his thoughts by the voice, and with a start, he saw Laharl, Etna, and Flonne march up to the hill's edge. So they escaped…but apparently not without scratches. Laharl looked like he had lost his lunch…several lunches, in fact.

"Hmhmhm…" Maderas chuckled, casually resting on an elbow, "You don't know when to give up, do you, Prince?"

Laharl said nothing. He just crossed his arms and glared. So did Etna and Flonne, but the angel looked like she was pouting.

"But, your luck ends here." Maderas snapped his fingers, and a Succubus stepped out from behind his throne and sauntered down to the trio.

"Hi there, little boy." The Succubus giggled, winking.

"Ugahhhh!!" Laharl cringed and took a step back. More sexy women! How many harems did Maderas have!?

Maderas smirked at the look of discomfort on Laharl's face. "And that's not all… Take this!"

A second Succubus stepped out and sashayed down to the trio.

"A ray of hope." She breathed, her chest heaving.

"Ugh!!" Laharl groaned, clutching his heart.

"A pure heart." The first Succubus said.

"Stop it…!!" Laharl yelled, bracing himself on his knees.

Maderas laughed cruelly. "Hahahahahaha! Can you withstand an attack against both of your vulnerabilities?"

"Ugh…!!" Laharl grunted, trying to glare past the Succubus pair at Maderas. It wasn't easy. However, Flonne stepped up to offer him support.

"Laharl, hang in there!" Flonne encouraged, holding him up.

"Whoa, hold it right there!"

Everyone looked up at a nearby ice tree. There was a figure sitting at the top, holding a violet rose to his cheek.

"When a lovely flower sheds a tear,

"I am there to wipe its sadness away.

"My flower shall bloom, bearing love…" Mid-Boss threw his rose at Maderas, where its stem speared the snow at the villain's feet. "They call me, the Dark Adonis…"

"Who are you!?" Maderas yelled, standing to his feet. "What is your name!?"

Mid-Boss gave his long hair a theatrical flip. "As I said, I am the Dark Adonis…" He began, only to be cut off by the Vampire.

"I don't care who you are!" Maderas snarled. He picked up the rose and crushed it. "Interfere, and you shall regret it!"

Mid-Boss turned his nose up at Maderas. "My! You are the one who asked _moi_ for my name! …In any case, I am not here to see you." He turned his head to Laharl and company. "Now then, how is everyone doing?" He asked in a jaunty tone, like a friend you would meet at the market. "You seem to be having some difficulty…"

Laharl glared up at Mid-Boss, secretly glad to have something other than sexy women to look at, and something other than optimistic sayings to listen to…but just a little bit.

"…What are you here for?" Laharl demanded. He was SO not in the mood for Mid-Boss' antics today!

Mid-Boss frowned. "Oh, how can you be so discourteous to _moi_?" The sassy demon said, "You seem to be working your way into quite a predicament. As your rival, I felt it was my obligation to warn you."

"Warn me…!?" Laharl repeated.

Mid-Boss nodded. "Laharl!! Do not be fooled by appearances!" He said, "Relying on sight and sound will only lead to delusion!" He clutched his fists. "Open your mind's eye!" He cried, "Once you do, you will no longer be deceived by mere facades!!"

Laharl blinked. "My mind's…eye…?"

Mid-Boss spread out his arms, beaming, and said, "Now is the time to set your mind free!! Awaken to your power!!"

There was a very long pause.

"…Umm, Mr. Mid-Boss," Flonne said at last, "That was a wonderful speech and all, but I think you may have set the bar a bit too high for Laharl…"

Mid-Boss' smile dropped. "Oh… In that case, just close your eyes and plug your ears!"

Laharl's eyes widened as the brilliance of the suggestion hit him. If his eyes were closed, he couldn't see the sexy bodies! And if his ears were plugged, he wouldn't hear the optimistic phrases! In two swift movements, he tore off pieces of his scarf, stuffed them into his ears, and shut his eyes.

"Hmhmhm…" Laharl chuckled a bit loudly, "Now, I have no weaknesses!" Laharl pointed at Mid-Boss. "The tides have turned, Maderas!"

Maderas ground his teeth in frustration. "Hmmmmmmmmmm….!!"

It didn't matter if Laharl couldn't see or hear…The Prince was strong enough to destroy everything around him in an instant…the whole point of the plan was to keep Laharl too weak to tap into that fearsome power…now it was shot!

"E-Etna!" He yelled in desperation, "What are you waiting for!? Kill Laharl!" He reached into his coat. "If you refuse, I'll erase your memory for good!"

To his shock, Etna merely looked away. "Go ahead, why don't ya?" She asked disdainfully.

"What!?" Maderas almost lost his footing.

Etna glared at him out of the corner of her eye. "Two years ago…when the King died, I followed your orders and poisoned the Prince…" She said, "So that you would give me back my memories."

"What!?" Laharl cried, and whirled at Flonne, pointing an accusing finger, "You tried to poison me!? Then, that long nap was all because of…"

Flonne was amazed. "Your ears are plugged," She said to Laharl, "Yet you still manage to hear that one line?"

Etna nodded. "That's right… It was because of the poison…" She explained, "But, I hated myself for working under Maderas. I didn't want to go on living like that. So, I devised a plan to escape from under his thumb."

Maderas shook his head, confused. "Th-then, why have you been following my orders until now…?"

Etna giggled malevolently. "You mean it's not clear to you? Let me explain then…" She said, "I was waiting for just the right moment to revenge on the bastard who ruined my life!" She put her hands on her hips. "From now on, I'll lead my life any way I choose. And no one's gonna stop me!"

Maderas gritted his teeth, getting so angry that his pale skin gained color, "How dare you turn against me!" He yelled, pointing down at Etna, "You double-crossing backstabber!"

Etna sighed. "Ahhh… The whining of a sore loser. It's music to my ears!"

"Dammit!" Maderas snarled, and snapped his fingers. From a nearby igloo, the Prinny Squad marched out into the open, standing between Etna and Maderas.

"Prinnies, make mincemeat out of her!" Maderas ordered.

The Prinnies looked at Etna, and then, looked up at Maderas. "Doooood…"

Maderas didn't like the way they were looking at him. "P-prinnies?"

Etna shook her head. "You don't get it, do you?" She said, leaning down onto the Prinny Squad. "I just told you that I've been waiting for this moment," She smiled. "I bought out the Prinnies you hired to watch over me a loooong time ago. _Comprende?_ You're just a stupid fool who fell for my trap, and the Prince was my bait."

Laharl crossed his arms and huffed. "Hmph… Using me as bait…" He murmured, "You're one ruthless girl."

Etna looked back and flashed him a cheeky grin. "Oh Prince, don't flatter me so much. It's not like Flonne or Mid-Boss were part of the plan."

"Hmmmm… Women are scary." Mid-Bossed mused from his tree.

At the top of the hill, Maderas was beginning to panic. "Ugh…!!"

Etna somersaulted over the Prinnies, landing halfway up the hill. "From this day on, you're gonna pee in your pants every time you hear my name," Etna proclaimed, "You ready?"

Growling, Maderas snapped his fingers, and another demon came out from behind his throne- and it wasn't a Succubus.

It was a Golem, bigger and meaner-looking than Goleck. The Golem raised its fists, eager for a fight.

"Kill Laharl!" Maderas ordered, pointing.

The Golem nodded, and leapt over Etna and the Prinny Squad. Dropping down from the sky, hit powered down at Laharl, throwing a punch-

-That Laharl caught easily, one-handed.

"What, didja think I was a softy?" Laharl mocked, swinging a punch of his own with his free fist. Upon impact, the Golem exploded into a million pieces. However, before the pieces could settle, they reassembled into the Golem again.

"Hey, Flonne!" Laharl yelled, "Did the Golem reassemble itself?"

"Why, yes!" Flonne yelled back, unsure on how Laharl could hear with his ears plugged. She was so busy pondering this that she didn't notice the two Succubi sneaking up on her- until they grabbed her.

"Alright, kid!" One of the Succubi yelled, "Unless you want your little girlfriend getting hurt, stop what your doing!"

Laharl kept on fighting the Golem. Hey, his ears were plugged, what did you want?

"I don't think he heard us." The other Succubus commented after a minute of silence.

"What do you mean, he didn't hear us?" The first Succubus demanded, "He heard her!"

While the Succubi were talking, Flonne slipped out of their grip. Leaping into the air, a circle of runes appeared in front of her.

"I won't hold back!" Flonne yelled, "Holy Arrows!"

A plethora of white feathers, glowing with holy power, shot out from the rune circle, raining down on the Succubi.

Meanwhile, Etna was fighting against Maderas, aided and abetted by the Prinny Squad. While the Prinnies weren't anywhere near as strong as Maderas, they were distracting enough for Etna to launch her own attacks from a distance.

"Out of my way, you stupid Prinnies!" Maderas snarled, swatting them aside. He sent out small bursts of fire at Etna. She dodged them, and prepared her counter attack. Leaping into the air, she said, "Call me Queen. Sexy Beam!" And shot down multiple beams of magic at Maderas. She got the Prinnies as well, but that wasn't HER problem…

Back with Laharl, the Prince was getting annoyed. No matter how many times he smashed the Golem, it would get back up! After ditching his earplugs and opening his eyes, Laharl came to the conclusion that he would have to reduce the Golem to ashes if he wanted it to end.

"Overlord's Wrath!" Laharl shot out multiple balls of fire that hung in the air, circling the Golem. After a minute, the fireballs swarmed onto it, blasting the Golem to smithereens.

"Bite the dust!" Laharl laughed sadistically.

Maderas saw this, and lost all bravery. Without his Golem and Succubi, he had no chance of winning.

"Eeeeeep!!" He squealed, panicking. "F-forgive me!!" He got onto his hands and knees, "Please, spare my life! I beg you!" He wailed, groveling.

"What should I do?" Etna wondered aloud, looking down at the Vampire.

"Forgive me, o Master Etna!" Maderas whimpered, trying to play on her vanity, "Your strength, beauty, and intelligence are unsurpassed in all the Netherworld!"

It was a load of crap, and Etna knew it. But she decided to let it pass.

"Well, killing a loser like you would only dirty my hands, so I'll forgive you," She then glared. "You know what I want, right?"

"Y-yes!" Maderas got up and began to ruffle through his coat. "I will return Master Laharl's candid photos immediately, as well as your memory!" He threw a wad of photos onto the ground, along with a roll of negatives. "I'll return everything!"

Maderas then held out the glowing sphere that was Etna's memories, and it floated towards the demon girl, entering her body. Physically and emotionally winded, the Vampire fainted.

"Phew…" Etna sighed, "That settles that," She turned to Laharl. "Doesn't it, Prince?"

"No, it doesn't!!" Laharl yelled, his eyes going red. "You tried to poison me in my sleep… You used me as bait for your revenge… What kind of vassal are you!?"

Flonne, realizing that more fighting might follow, rushed up to him from the unconscious Succubi. "B-But Laharl-!"

"…But!" Laharl continued, "But, I don't mind that side of you. A true demon is always full of ambition, and aims for the top." He shrugged. "As King, I'll need a right-hand demon like you under my command."

Etna was touched. "Prince…"

But Laharl wasn't done. "Listen up!" he said, pointing at Etna, "I'm going to work you into the ground! You better be prepared for it!"

Etna however, shook her head. "Uh-uh. YOU better be prepared," She said, "I'll be watching your every move. If you don't prove yourself worthy of the throne…an accident may happen."

Laharl smirked. "Hmph… You can take my place if that happens." He said, which was Evil Demon for, "I'm counting on you."

Etna giggled. "Don't worry, I will." She said, which was Evil Demon for, "I'll be here for you."

Flonne watched this exchange with a funny smile on her face.

"…That's strange," She said at last, "…Laharl and Etna reconciled, despite all that's happened. I don't understand it, but I guess demons have their own way of expressing love," She giggled. "I'm really surprised. I have never experienced anything like this before in Celestia…"

And so, the three friends walked home, their hearts light.

Episode 5

Etna's Secret

**End**

Mid-Boss: Hey, wait! Everyone! Are you not forgetting someone?

A/N: What, what's wrong?

Mid-Boss: You didn't mention what happened to me!

A/n: Didn't feel like it.

Mid-Boss: 'Didn't feel like it'… And you did not mention that Maderas joined the party.

A/N: It's the same as with Hoggmeister. Anyway, sorry for the long wait, had projects and stuff… Anyway, what's next, Etna?

-Episode 6 Preview-

Etna: Hi, everybody, I'm Etna! I'm a 1st-grader at Netherworld Elementary!

Laharl: You look and act like a 1st-grader, that's for sure.

Etna: My dream is to become a witch, so I can get a cute boyfriend!

Laharl: Boyfriend? That's dumb.

Etna: Lovely, sexy... Hey! No touching! Boys of the world, be my loyal slaves!

Laharl: Who'd want to touch you?

Etna: Next on _Evolutionary Magical Girl Etna_, Episode 6: _Curse You, Flonne!!_ Get ready to be spellbound!

Laharl: Aren't you embarrassed to say something like that?

Etna: Not at all.


	6. Laharl's Challenge

_The memories Maderas stole from me are starting to return..._

_It should all come back to me with time..._

_Still, the Prince really surprised me..._

_I thought he'd kill any traitors..._

_I was prepared to accept my punishment..._

_Why did he forgive me...? I don't understand..._

_But..._

_I have a feeling that the King would have done the same thing..._

_He's more like his father than he seems..._

Etna looked up from her journal entry, titled 'Image of the King'. It sounded like Laharl was making some big speech. To who, she had no idea, as no one in the castle bothered to listen to him besides Flonne. But an audience of one beat an audience of none…

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

_"Dear Sirs and Madames,_

_I hope these dark days find you well._

_However, I, Laharl, am deeply concerned with the state of the Netherworld._

_I am well aware that unnecessary bloodshed is not your desire._

_Therefore, I am writing to propose a formal challenge, an event with my __father's title at stake - the title of Overlord._

_The rules are simple._

_On Curseday, in the Month of Adder, I shall journey to the Heart of Evil, __carrying with me the official Deed._

_The one who wrests the Deed from my hand shall be recognized as the new __Overlord._

_In the event that I reach my destination still in possession of the Deed, I __shall assume the position myself._

_Sincerely,_

_Prince Laharl"_

Flonne looked up from the flyer Laharl had given her. The two of them were seated in the throne room, sitting not near the throne, but at a Japanese table set up several feet in front of it. A red Prinny was pouring tea. She looked at Laharl, who was undoubtedly pleased with himself.

"Whaddya think?" he asked smugly, as if he knew she thought it was cool. "Excellent penmanship, huh?"

"Y-yes," Flonne answered. While the calligraphy _was _surprisingly good, she was a little put off by the doodle at the bottom-right corner of Laharl standing heroically atop a pile of skulls. The 'official seal', apparently. It looked cheesy, but she choose not to point it out and ruin his good mood.

Instead, she asked, "But, according to the Netherworld calendar, isn't today the designated day?"

Laharl nodded. "That's right. I've ordered the Prinnies to spread copies of this letter all over the Netherworld." He took a sip of tea.

Etna entered the scene, and snatched the flyer from Flonne, giving it a once-over.

"The demons aiming to become Overlord," Laharl continued, "Are probably lying in ambush right now."

Etna glanced up from the flyer, looking at Laharl through half-closed lids. She wasn't any more impressed by the 'official seal' than Flonne was, if not even less so. However, a sly smile spread across her face as an evil thought occurred to her.

"Ummm, Prince? Is this offer open to anyone?" She asked as innocently as she could manage, which wasn't much.

Laharl gave her a mean look. "Are you an idiot?" He asked, "Don't you get it? There's no Deed for the position of Overlord."

Etna blanched. "Huh?" No Deed? Then what was the Prince's game?

Laharl sighed. "This is a trap," He explained, "Look at what's happened recently," He crossed his arms. "I thought that I might as well get rid of anyone still planning to claim the throne."

Etna thought about it. "Oh, I see." Even though Mid-Boss, Hoggmeiser, and Maderas had been taken care of, there were still plenty of demons who wanted to be Overlord, and didn't accept the claim of one half-pint demon…even if he was the Prince. It was nice to see the Prince being proactive for once.

"And when I've defeated them all," Laharl continued, "I will be the unquestioned Overlord!"

Laharl began to laugh.

"Hmhmhm…

"Haaahahahaha!!"

Episode 6

Laharls' Challenge

And so, with visions of wholesale slaughter in mind, Laharl and the girls headed for the portal room. When the whereabouts of the Prinnies were brought up, Laharl merely waved it off, saying, "Who cares, I don't need those guys for this."

But that wasn't the only thing. For the first time since anyone could remember, the Overlord's Castle was…empty. It seemed unreal. There were no sounds of conversation between Manty and Goleck, Dratti's girlish giggle could not be heard, and Ghoss and Gargo were no where to be found.

In the portal room, the corner between the Castle hospital and the entrance to the Item was missing a Zombie; Zommie was gone too.

"Good morning, Prince." Fiona greeted, bowing her head.

"Morning," Laharl replied. He looked around, a bit put off by the lack of population. "Uh… is it me, or am I missing vassals?"

"Do not worry," Fiona answered, "They are all waiting to ambush you at Blair Forest, Prince."

Laharl felt a blood vein appear on his forehead. "…Those idiots…!!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Blair Forest, one of the spookier areas in the Netherworld.

A dark forest, know for its spooky trees, the ominous shadows those trees cast, and a perpetual state of gloom provided by a dark cloud that hung right above it. In the center of the forest was a mountain, the peak of which was called the Heart of Evil.

It was here, at the entrance of the Forest, called Calamity Woods, that Laharl and crew met their first challengers.

"Hey." Laharl said, peeking ahead from behind a boulder.

"Yes?" Flonne replied, peeking out, her head above his.

"I encouraged everyone to participate, but…" Laharl grimaced at the sight before him. "…Isn't this a bit much?"

The entire entrance to Blair Forest was packed with demons, armed to the teeth/fang/beak/jaws. There were dozens of them.

"When I become Overlord, I'm gonna build the Netherworld's biggest ball of yarn and dedicate it to mama!" A Golem commented.

"When I become Overlord, I'm gonna build a harem!" A Lantern giggled.

The Dark Knight next to them growled. "When I'm Overlord, I'm gonna make it illegal for you two to talk!"

The trio watched the mob of demons bicker and one-up each other, sweating.

"'The more, the merrier' they say." Flonne remarked.

Etna choose that moment to poke her head out, resting her chin atop of Flonne's head.

"Flonne, when it comes to sayings," Etna drawled, "You're all thumbs."

"…You're not much better." Laharl growled, feeling a little pressured- and for good reason. With Etna on top of Flonne, this meant Flonne was being forced down on Laharl, thus forcing him to carry both of them. He lurched back, causing the girls to tumble off of him behind the boulder.

"Anyways," Laharl jerked a thumb at the mob, "What are we going to do about these guys?" Laharl turned around to peeked out again. "There's not even room to walk."

Etna shrugged. "Looks like we'll have to take them on one by one."

Laharl's antenna hair drooped and he bowed his hair. "Oh, great…" He sulked. "I can't wait to see what's after this."

With a sigh, Laharl stepped out from behind the boulder, Etna and Flonne following close behind. The three of them stood out in clear view of the mob. Unfortunately, the demons were too busy arguing to notice them.

"A-HEM!" Laharl coughed, an foul expression on his face.

The demons stopped bickering and turned their collective, somewhat scattered, attention to the trio. The effect was instantaneous.

"It's him!!" A Ghost yelled, "Prince Laharl!"

"And there's his sidekick, Etna!" A Treant yelled.

"Sidekick!?" Etna growled, a vein appearing on her forehead. That Treant would pay for that!

"But who's the blond?" Someone in the back yelled, meaning Flonne. The angel in question just smiled and waved.

"I know her!" Someone else in the backed yelled, "She's that angel from Celestia, the one that's trying to seduce the Prince!

"What!? I didn't know angels could seduce!"

"Se-se-se-seduce!?" Flonne blanched, taken aback, "Where would they get a crazy idea like that!?"

Etna shrugged, grinning like heck. "Who knows? Some tabloid reporter sneaking around the Castle probably saw you acting nice to the Prince and got the wrong idea."

"B-but I'm nice to everyone in the Castle…" Flonne protested weakly.

"Who the hell cares!?" Laharl boomed all of a sudden, "We've got better things to do than talk about who she's nice to!!"

His ire effectively invoked, Laharl turned his attention to the incoming mob of demons, who had gotten over their surprise and were now initiating their assault.

"Overlord's Wrath!" Laharl raised his arms, sending out fireballs the size of beach balls into the air. Swinging his arms down, Laharl threw the fireballs in the middle of the demon-mob, blast a hole the size of a sedan in their ranks.

"Wow!" Flonne applauded.

"Nice one, Prince!" Etna cheered.

Laharl shot them a dirty look. "You're helping too!"

"Oh! Right!" A little mollified, Flonne jumped into the air. "I won't hold back!"

A heavenly rune circle appearing before her, Flonne sent out a series of glowing white feathers into the leftmost demons in the mob.

"My eyes!" Someone wailed among the screams of pain.

Satisfied with Flonne's handiwork, Laharl turned to Etna. "Well?"

Etna glanced at Laharl, an indifferent look on her face. "Well what?"

"Aren't YOU going to do something?" Though it was phrased as a question, what Laharl meant was, "You better fight too, or I'll let you have it."

"Yeah, cool your jets," Etna replied, stretching her arms. With a fantastic leap, Etna positioned herself above the demons in the rightmost section of the mob. "But next time, call me Queen. Sexy Beam!"

Etna shot down numerous purple beams, blasting the targeted demons into the ground.

Landing back down next to the Prince, she asked, "Will that do?"

Laharl grinned. "Good enough." He looked toward the remaining demons in the mob. There were only three Dark Knights. "I can handle the rest myself!"

Readying his sword, Laharl lunged at the trio.

"Haaaahahahaha!"

Laharl impaled the Dark Knight in the middle, killing it instantly. The two remaining Dark Knights on the opposing sides rushed at the Prince and cadaver, swords raised. As they swung their blades at Laharl, the Prince jumped aside. What happened next was, of course, obvious.

CLANG!

With Laharl no longer between them to bar the way, the paths of their swords cut each into other.

"Owie!" The Dark Knight on the left winced.

"You'd think we woulda seen that coming." The right Dark Knight commented, cringing.

The both of them fell over, joining the rest of the mob in their demise.

"That was easy," Laharl said, dusting himself off. "I'm a bit disappointed, truth be told."

"So, are we done?" Etna asked.

"Of course not!" Laharl yelled. He pointed toward the peak in the center of Blair Forest. "We still have to go to the Heart of Evil."

And without another word, Laharl marched into the dark and treacherous Forest, partially aware of the danger that awaited him.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Elsewhere, somewhere in Frozen River, two zombies were talking about the challenge Laharl issued. They were discussing on whether or not they should give it a try, even though the chances of success, much less surviving, were slim. They were so focused on their discussion that they didn't see the giant swirling rainbow of dark colors appearing above them.

FLASH!

CRASH!

STOMP-STOMP-STOMP…

As the silence returned to the Frozen River, anyone passing by would see a giant footprint where two zombies used to be.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Meanwhile, the trio was continuing their trek through the Blair Forest. As they entered a clearing called the Ritual Site, they saw a female Rune Knight sitting on her knees in the center. Rune Knights were demon warriors that specialized in both swords and magic. For that reason only one demon in a hundred could become a Rune Knight.

The Rune Knight caught sight of the trio and called out to them.

"I hath been waiting for thee," she said, "Thou art Lord Laharl, art not thou?"

The trio raised their eyebrows at her usage of ye olde butchered English. But Etna saw the determined glint in the Rune Knights, sensing something beyond the silly language skills. But her speech-style was pretty silly…

"Oooh. She seems a lot more serious than the last bunch." Etna commented.

"She does not appear to be an ordinary swordswoman," Flonne noted, "How exciting!"

The Rune Knight stood up. "My name is Sardia the Demonslayer. My sword hath slayeth over 2000 demons…"

"Incredible!" Etna cried, impressed in spite of herself.

Sardia scrunched her face in thought. "…Or, was it under 2000?"

The trio almost tripped over themselves.

"Which is it!?" Laharl yelled.

Undeterred, Sardia pulled out an elegant sword and it into the air.

"When I swingeth my sword," She said, "The earth shall be torn asunder…"

Flonne clapped her hands together in awe. "Amazing! The earth splits open!?"

Sardia cocked her head, unsure. "…Perhaps."

"Make up your mind, dammit!" Laharl snapped, his temper rising.

Sardia, not seeing the vein appearing on Laharl's forehead, pointed her sword at him and asked, "What dost thou thinketh?"

"How should I know!?" Laharl roared, his eyes red, antenna-hair sticking up. "Trying to make a fool out of me? I'll make you moan in pain!!"

"Prince, did you mean to say, 'Scream in pain'?" Etna asked, giving Laharl a side glance.

Bu Laharl wasn't listening. He had brought his sword to bear, and lunged at Sardia. The Demonslayer brought her own sword up to block Laharl's assault, and the two swords met with a CLANG. Sardia held her ground for a moment, before leaning back and swinging around, causing Laharl to stumble forward. On her spin, she swung her sword at Laharl's back. Laharl spun around to block, and the two began to exchange blows, both attempting to cut the other, only to hit their opponent's sword.

Off to the side, Flonne and Etna watched, the former munching on some popcorn.

After a few minutes of this demon-style Flynning, Sardia leapt back.

"Thou skills art impressive!" She declared, "It would seem that I needeth to 'up my game' to use the vernacular!"

Swinging her sword down, Sardia unleashed a flying blade of wind at Laharl.

"Wind Cutter!"

Laharl dodged the sharp breeze and yelled, "Is that the best you can do?" And without another word, he charged at Sardia. "Blade Rush!"

Sardia stepped aside to avoid Laharl's charge ("Are they even TRYING to hit each other?" Etna asked, annoyed.) and began to encircle the Prince, going faster and faster.

"Hurricane Rush!"

Laharl was sent flying up by the ensuing tornado- and soon knocked back down to the ground by Sardia, who jumped up after him. Sardia landed next to the Prince's prone form and held her sword's tip over him.

"Surrender thou Deed to the Netherworld," Sardia threatened, "Or I will plunge thy blade into thou throat…maybe."

In response, Laharl blasted her away with his Burning Knuckle. Flying through the air encased in a ball of fire, Sardia crashed into several trees.

"You'll have to do better than that, Demonslayer!" Laharl taunted, "You may be a better swordsman…woman…demon…but I'm way stronger than you!"

There was a pause, as the trio stared at the wreckage that was Sardia's landing pad. After a moment, a tree was thrown aside and Sardia stood up, looking very scuffed.

"It would seem that I must taketh this fight seriously," Sardia said, "Therefore, I shall now useth a demon slaying technique that hast never failed to fell a foe!"

Etna and Flonne exchanged looks.

"Well, maybe not EVERY foe." Etna grinned while Flonne giggled.

Sardia almost fell over. "Don't steal my jokes!"

Now sincerely vexed, Sardia was at Laharl's side in a flash.

"Nightsever!" She called out, and kicked Laharl into the air. While he was airborn, Sardia leapt up after him and began to slash at him repeatedly with her sword, the final strike blasting him down.

"How dost that suit thou?" Sardia asked as she landed. "I wouldeth think thou hast lost this match, hast thou not? Yea, my skills art truly worthy of an Overlord…"

While Sardia bragged an patted herself on the back, Laharl stood back up. Walking over to her, he tapped her on the shoulder.

"Hm?" Sardia turned to look and saw no one, save two strands of hair pointing in the air. Looking down, she saw Laharl. Then she saw his fist.

FWOOM!

Sardia was once again sent flying by the Burning Knuckle, this time into a large crate labeled 'Conveniently Placed Broken Glass'. Upon landing, she and the crate went up in flames in a fantastic explosion.

"C'mon, let's go!" He yelled to the girls, "We're burning daylight!" And to Flonne he ordered, "And heal me!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

At Dinero Palace, Hoggmeiser's son was busy playing in the garden. Feeling nature calling, he went inside to relieve himself.

STOMP-STOMP-STOMP…

Upon returning, he found a large footprint where the garden used to be.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Meanwhile, the trio had arrived in an area called the Witches' Den, where it was believed that an order of eerie witches practiced their warped magic. It was getting dark, but the trio could make out a small group in the center of the clearing.

"Huh?" Flonne blinked. "Prinnies?"

Not just any Prinnies. It was the Prinny Squad, who Laharl had sent to distribute his challenge over the Netherworld.

"What are you doing here?" Laharl asked, annoyed. After spreading his flyers, the Prinnies were supposed to go back to the Castle.

"We thought we might as well give it a shot, dood." The Prinny at the head of the Squad said.

Etna was outraged. "What!?" She yelled, "You're not allowed to pull off a coup d'etat without me!" She clenched a fist as her eyes turned red. "I'm the one who's supposed to kill the Prince!"

Flonne tapped Etna on the shoulder. "Etna," She said, "It might not be such a good idea to announce that in front of the person in question."

Flonne directed Etna's gaze at Laharl, who was glaring at her out of the corner of his eyes. Realizing her blunder, Etna's eyes returned to their normal color, and she rubbed the back of her head, smiling sheepishly.

"We know a head-on attack is suicide, dood." The Prinny continued, ignoring Etna's outburst the best he could.

That statement, of course, had Laharl's attention."Hm?" He asked, "You have a plan, then?"

No demon, or Prinny for that matter, would mention a potential drawback without being ready to compensate for it.

The Prinny pumped its…wing…and said, "That's right, dood!!" He looked back at its comrades. "Alright! Let's go, doods!!"

Suddenly, the darkness of the Witches' Den was removed by the illumination of spotlights, revealing that the area had been transformed into a makeshift baseball diamond. The Prinnies leapt to positions, the lead one taking the pitcher's mound.

"We challenge you to a game of baseball, dood!!" They yelled.

"Play ball!" A prinny wearing an umpire's uniform yelled.

The trio stared at this turn of event with glazed, neutral expressions.

"Etna." Laharl said at last.

"Yes?"

"Kill 'em."

"Certainly."

Etna grabbed the umpire-Prinny and heaved him at the pitcher-Prinny.

BOOM!

This action started a series of Prinny throwing, the most practical case of Prinny throwing the Netherworld had seen. While a Prinny could develop combat skill equal to a full-fledged demon, they were still in danger of exploding when thrown. Thus, it wasn't long before the diamond was pocked with small burn-marks where the Prinnies had gone boom.

"Gee, that was distracting." Flonne noted, having watched the whole event in confusion. A lynch-mob, an absent-minded demonslayer, and now baseball playing Prinnies…were all of Laharl's rivals for the throne this pathetic?

They would soon find out…

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

With Blair Forest now in sight, the figure that had been leaving giant footprints all over the Netherworld allowed itself a satisfied smile.

Now, it's goal was only a hop, skip, and jump away…

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

The trio was now in the Writhing Shadow, the last piece of Forest before the treacherous mountain climb to the Heart of Evil. The trio were just near the edge of the woods when a thunderous voice began to laugh.

"**Mwahahahahaha!!"**

A massive figure, easily the size of castle, appeared before them. This monstrous being looked like what would happen if Rocky Balboa and the Godzilla got married and had a son…an ugly son with a bad haircut. It was a gigantic reptilian beast, with bulging muscles, a jaw full of teeth the size of tombstones, pink-tinted scales. Flames protruded from its back and elbows. He was so massive that they could only see its feet and forelegs. The rest of it vanished into the heavens.

the gargantuan beast loomed over the trio and asked, in its big voice, **"Kid! Are you Krichevkoy's son!?"**

Laharl, unafraid by this behemoth, pointed up at this newcomer. "Who are you?" He demanded.

"**Me?!"** The giant lizard rumbled, **"I am the Overlord of an alternate Netherworld!"**

"An alternate Netherworld?" Laharl asked, unsure of what he was hearing. There were other Netherworld's besides this one…?

"**That's right!"** The Alternate Overlord boomed, "**I tried taking over this world before, but Krichevckoy got in my way! Now that he's dead, I'll claim it for my own! You are just one of the Overlords that I will crush on my way to becoming the 'Supreme Overlord'!"**

Laharl narrowed his eyes, and apparently the Alt. Overlord saw that, for he said**, "Puny boy! What you see before you represents only a fraction of my power!"**

"Well, that's really hard to tell," Laharl said haughtily, "Since I can only see part of you."

Etna nodded. "Yep. You're just too big."

There was a pause as the Alt. Overlord thought this over.

**"…Fine!"** He snapped, **"If it's size you're concerned about, I can make adjustments… But even so, a horrible death still awaits you! Feel my wrath!"** The Alt. Overlord began to glow. **"Here I go! Doppelgangerrrrrrrr!"**

There was a flash, and soon there were ten Alt. Overlords, each the size of a Golem.

"**You see this?"** The Alt. Overlords declared, **"This is the famous Doppelganger spell! How do you like it? There are now 10 Overlord's now. You're speechless, aren't you!?"**

While the concept of ten Overlords would have been very frightening, the fact that the Alt. Overlord's speech had been divided ten ways made his voice sound whiny and annoying, thereby ruining the effect.

"Tch…!" Laharl gritted his teeth, both annoyed and nervous. He didn't like the way that sounded, for both reasons.

"Don't worry!" Flonne said assuredly, "Splitting into 10 ways means that his love is divided 10 ways! We cannot possibly lose to someone like that!"

"Ooh, Flonne's burning with determination!" Etna grinned, "You like this sort of stuff, don't you?"

Flonne's eyes lit up. "Yes, I love this sort of stuff!" for brief moment, she thought she was in a romantic quest-story, where the hero, a brave adventurer, was now embroiled in a decisive battle, where his enemy, the villain, had just made a flashy but unwise maneuver that cost him the fight. Her eyes light up in a passionate fire. "Now, let's go everybody!"

Turning back to the 10 Alt. Overlords, the trio brandished their weapons. Laharl moved first, lunging at the Alt. Overlord at the head of the pack, swinging his sword in a sideways chop.

CLANG!

The blade bounced of the Alt. Overlord's neck.

"What the…?" Laharl muttered, a bit surprised. This was the first time his sword hadn't caused any visible damage. He began to hammer his sword's edge against the Alt. Overlord repeatedly.

"**Hmmm, that tickles."** The Alt. Overlord purred.

Meanwhile, Etna, having decided that she wasn't going to go anywhere near one of the Alt. Overlords, pulled out her Ion 9K Samurai and took aim. Etna fired off a shot directly between the eyes of the Alt. Overlord to the rightmost of the group.

The Alt. Overlord rubbed that place and muttered, **"Was that a mosquito?"**

"Oh, crap," Etna gulped, "This does not look good…"

Flonne, of course, was firing an abundance of arrows from her bow, at one of the Alt. Overlords on the left. The arrows bounced off their bodies, until one grabbed an arrow out of the air and began to pick his teeth with it.

"**Haha… What a cute little show." **The Alt. Overlord at the head remarked, slapping Laharl away.

"Ugh…!" Laharl grunted, landing between Etna and Flonne. He glared at the angel.

"'His Love is divided 10 ways!'" He mocked, "Yeah, sure… That was a BIG help, you loony angel!!"

Flonne frowned. "Hmmm, that's odd. Isn't the hero supposed to win?" She wondered aloud.

"Ummm… We're demons, not heroes." Etna reminded her, shaking her head.

"**Mwahahahahaha!!" **The Alt. Overlord laughed, **"Even if my power is divided, an Overlord is still an Overlord. It wouldn't matter how many puny boys like you there were, I'd crush them all!" **The Alt. Overlord shook his head in dismay. **"I thought the son of Krichevskoy would be a lot tougher, but I guess I was wrong!!"**

Laharl clenched his fist so hard that he drew blood from his own hand. He hated being insulted, hated being compared to his father, and he hated being unable to beat someone up if they did!

"Dammit…!" He swore.

"**Die, punk!" **Roared the Alt. Overlord, **"Say hello to Krichevskoy in hell!"**

The Alt. Overlords began to move in on the trio when a voice rang out.

"Wait just a minute!"

Out from the forest behind the trio came Goleck, Manty, Gargo, Zommie, Ghoss, and Dratti!

"Y-you guys…!?" Laharl gasped, shocked.

"**W-who are you!?" **The Alt. Overlord demanded, a little thrown back by this turn of events.

Zommie jumped over Laharl, putting himself between the Prince and the Alt. Overlords.

"We are the loyal vassals of King Krichevskoy…" He said.

Ghoss jumped to Zommie's side and said the Alt. Overlords, "You dare to set foot in our world? We will defeat you in the name of the late King!!"

They and the other vassals quickly formed a protective circle around the trio.

"**Hmmm…!!" **the Alt. Overlord gave the demon-beasts an appraising eye.

"Prince!" Manty called out, "Let us handle this!"

"We've been waiting here in case our help was needed." Explained Gargo.

"Liars," Etna scoffed, "You were here to ambush the Prince just like the others, isn't that right?"

The vassals winced at Etna's accusation.

"Ah-ah-ahahahahaha!" Goleck stammered, sweating bullets, "O-of course not! Oh, come now."

Flonne closed her eyes and shook her head. "…Looks like you hit the nail on the head." She said to Etna.

Laharl groaned. "Why is it that I don't have any luck with vassals…?"

"Come, now," Dratti said, "We were here to help you in your time of need, right?"

Laharl shot the Dragon a mean look. "Only because you were waiting to ambush me!"

"**Hey!" **The Alt. Overlord roared, **"Quite ignoring me!! I'll send you all to join Krichevskoy! Prepare yourselves!!"**

"Hmph…" Zommie shook his head, "Don't underestimate us! We will defeat you in the name of Overlord Krichevskoy!!"

He and the other vassals roared and charged the Alt. Overlords.

"Cannonball!" Gargo yelled, and his arms became two great blades, with which he brought down on the two of the Alt. Overlords.

"Beast Rend!" Manty roared, and seemingly vanished to the other side of two other Alt. Overlords. The two Alt. Overlords suddenly fell, large claw marks in their sides.

"Zombie Twister!" Zommie became a whirling tornado of rotting flesh, bowling into three of the Alt. Overlords, sending them flying.

"**I'll teach you little ants to get cocky with me!" **The Alt. Overlord snarled, **"Fiery Roar!"**

Two of the Alt. Overlord unleashed a massive blast of fire from their mouths at Goleck. He didn't even flinch.

"That's nothing!" Goleck yelled, and leapt into the air. "Golem Smash!"

Goleck suddenly became a GIANT top-version of himself, and smashed down onto the attacking Alt. Overlords.

"Dragonic Furor!" Dratti unleashed a blast of fire-breath that burned one of the Alt. Overlords to a crisp.

The last Alt. Overlord, (And the trio) stared as these apparent goofballs laid waste to his divided selves.

"You'll never take this Netherworld, or any other!" Ghoss declared, and leapt to the Alt. Overlord's side. "Bomb Magic!"

Ghoss became a bomb-version of himself. The Alt. Overlord barely had time to protest when…

BOOM!

When the smoke cleared, the Alt. Overlord was gone.

"We'll be returning to the castle now," Zommie said, dusting himself off, "Take care, Prince."

The trio stared bug-eyed at the vassals.

"They're actually pretty strong…" Etna breathed, astonished.

Flonne remembered a proverb she heard from Seraph Lamington once.

"'A wise falcon hides it talons'," She said, and nodded. "That saying fits perfectly."

Laharl slumped.

"I wish they would stop hiding their talons when it comes to working for me…" He pouted.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

The trio arrived at Nightdwellers, the foot of the mountain in the middle of Blair Forest, where on top was the Heart of Evil. By some trick of nature, the mountain's structure was similar to a Mesoamerican pyramid, in that it looked like differently-sized layers had been placed on top of each other, the smaller on top of the larger, thus making it a relatively easy climb.

As Laharl, Etna, and Flonne gazed up at their path, a voice cried out for them, and a nearby Hobbit began to play theme music on a electric piano off to the side. There was a puff of red smoke on the first ledge above the trio, and a strange figure appeared.

It was someone humanoid, though it was hard to tell what it was precisely. The reason for this was the being's garment. It wore a red spandex suit, with a rainbow streaking down from the right shoulder to the middle of the belt. It wore a helmet so perfectly round that it gave no clue to the shape of the newcomers head, and where the eyes were was a black visor, covering the eyes. The helmet also had a rainbow in the middle.

"We've been waiting for you, demons!" the red one declared, the voice suggesting it was a man.

There was a flash of blue light, and another spandex suited-figure appeared, this time blue.

"When the darkness of evil draws near, we appear out of nowhere!!" The blue one called out.

There was a burst of yellow sparks, and a yellow one appeared, identical to the red and blue figures.

"The-3-lights-of-justice-save-the-world-with-courage-and-hope!!" He monotoned.

"Together…!!" The red one yelled, leaping down to the trio's level.

"…we are…!!" The blue one continued, following the red one.

"…The Prism Rangers!!" Yellow finished, joining his comrades.

The Prism Rangers struck poses they thought were impressive.

Laharl was not impressed. In fact, he wasn't moved by the Rangers' performance to even be annoyed.

"…Please, someone normal come out." He sighed, face palming.

Flonne, however, gazed at the Prism Rangers with wonder and amazement.

"Cool!" She squealed. She turned to Etna and asked excitedly, "Hey, Etna! How about we do our own poses!?"

The two demons gave Flonne two very neutral looks.

"You serious?" Asked Etna, wondering what was going on in Flonne's head this time.

Flonne nodded. "You better believe it!" Turning to the Prism Rangers, she said, "Um… But, I have a question for you guys."

"A question?" Red nodded. "Go ahead, shoot!"

"You call yourselves Prism Rangers," Flonne began, "But you only have 3 colors. That's not even enough for a rainbow."

"Isn't it obvious?" Red asked, "We don't have any friends! Being a hero is a lonely existence!! You got it!?"

Etna rolled her eyes. The characters this dumb challenge was bringing out!

"Are you sure there's not another reason why you don't have any friends?" She asked, reaching for her Ion 9K Samurai.

Laharl, however, had another issue to discuss. "…You guys are heroes, aren't you?" He demanded, "Why would you want to be Overlords?"

"We want friends of course!" Red declared, "If we become Overlords, then we'll have tons of friends!!" Red shot his fist into the sky. "Then the Prism Rangers will have all the colors of the rainbow!!"

Blue and Yellow shot their own fists into the sky, and all three Prism Rangers started to glow.

"Here we go!!" Red yelled, "Blue! Yellow! Transfor-"

"Bang." Etna said simply, and fired her gun twice. Prism Blue and Prism Yellow went down.

"Bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuueeeeeeeeee!!!! Yellowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!" Prism Red wailed, standing over the bodies of his teammates, "This can't be happening! Blue and Yellow have been shot…! I can't transform on my own…!" Red whirled at the trio and pointed an accusing finger. "Curse you! Shooting before we even have a chance to transform… How inconsiderate! Are you demons!?"

Etna nodded. "Uh huh."

The Hobbit playing piano suddenly slipped and hit a jarring chord.

"Oh my gosh!" Red gasped, "I completely forgot about that!"

"…Is your helmet on too tight?" Laharl asked at last. "You should have transformed first, then come out."

"That's not how it's supposed to be!" Flonne yelled, jumping in front of Laharl and closing in on his face, "A true defender of justice transforms in front of the enemy!"

Etna stared at the angel, not even taking time to enjoy the look of shock on Laharl's face. "…Flonne, which side are you on?"

"Then I'll just have to play my ace card!" Red declared, "The demons I hired will help me!"

Laharl pushed Flonne out of the way and asked, "Is it okay for a hero to be using demons?"

Red nodded. "Of course! Justice must never lose, no matter what the means!"

Red leapt back up onto the ledge and yelled, "Blue! Yellow! Your deaths have awakened a burning passion in my heart!"

"Uh, I avoided hitting any vital spots, so they should still be alive…" Etna said quietly. She felt killing idiots and weaklings would be bad for her image. A mild beating was good enough for her.

But Red wasn't listning.

"Evil fiends!" He called out, "Are you ready!? Face the power of justice!!"

Prism Red struck a pose, and the Hobbit stopped playing piano and leapt to his side, joined by a Ghost and a Treant. Treants were demons that resembled tree stumps, that had jaws and eyes carved into them, with a pair of spindly arms and claws popping out of the top.

Prism Red pulled out what looked like a black metal rod, the size of toilet paper tube. Flipping a switch on the bottom, a red beam of light flowed out, solidifying into a crimson glowing bar.

"Cooool!" Flonne squealed, her eyes shining, "He's got a lightsaber!"

"You really are a geek for this stuff, aren't you?" Laharl sighed, rubbing his temples.

Pointing dramatically at the trio, Prism Red yelled, "Attack!" and he and the demons leapt down at Laharl, Etna, and Flonne.

"I'll take wonder brain," Laharl ordered, brandishing his sword, "You two, deal with his cronies."

The girls nodded, and Laharl lunged at Prism Red. Their blades met with a great flash.

"You're good…" Prism Red admitted, "But you'll never stand equal with a hero!"

"Good!" Laharl grinned, "I prefer being your superior!"

Off to the side, Etna jabbed her spear into the Ghost, and tossed him into the air.

"Avalanche!"

Etna leapt up after the Ghost, and swatted him back down, with so much force that his landing created a small crater…where the Hobbit used to be.

Flonne, meanwhile, shot an arrow at the Treant.

"Ow!" The Treant winced. It pulled the arrow out. "That hurt, you know!"

Flonne nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry. But we are fighting, you know."

"Yeah, I know…" The Treant threw the arrow away. "But it shouldn't hurt!"

Flonne shot another arrow, this one going _through _the Treant. The Treant went down without a word.

"Rest in peace." She said, praying for its soul.

Meanwhile, Laharl and Prism Red were continuing their duel, complete with humming sound a lightsaber makes when it swings.

"Hey!" Laharl said, "Do you know why your sword hums?"

"No…" Prism Red stopped, considering. "But if you hum a few bars, I'll fake it!"

Prism Red chuckled at his joke, irritating the Prince. Laharl responded by slapping the lightsaber out of his hands. Red stared at his hand.

"Well, I don't need my lightsaber to win!" Red declared confidently, "You're no match for Swift Justice!"

Prism Red unleashed a series of mind-blowing martial arts moves on Laharl. Laharl promptly decked him afterwards.

"Ju...Justice…" Red moaned, passing out.

"Okay, you two done?" Laharl called out to the girls. Etna was arranging Prism Blue and Yellow into funny positions, while Flonne was trying to compose her own theme song on the Hobbit's piano.

"We're moving on!" Laharl ordered, and leapt up onto the cliff.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

One long, harrowing, but mostly uneventful climb, the trio reached the Heart of Evil, the very top of the peak. It was like a miniature forest.

"Prince, is this the Heart of Evil?" Etna asked, looking around.

"That's right." Laharl nodded.

"No one's here." Flonne noted.

"Which means…" Etna trailed off, not really sure if she should say it.

"Now, hold it right there!!"

The trio looked over to a rock formation to the east and saw a familiar face.

"Hey, it's Mid-Boss again." Etna commented.

Laharl rolled his eyes. Of course. Every other idiot had shown up, why not him?

"What do you want?" He asked, annoyed, "I'm busy right now."

"Tsk tsk tsk," Mid-Boss tsk'ed, "You weren't thinking of calling yourself the Overlord without first settling things with _moi_, were you?"

Laharl gave Mid-Boss a weird look. "I already settled things with you," He said. Thinking about it, he added, "Twice, in fact."

Mid-Boss shook his head in mock-pity. "Silly you. Did you think I was serious?"

Laharl raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you?"

"Not at all!" Mid-Boss answered, "That was merely camouflage…so that you would let your guard down. Now, you shall witness my true power!" Mid-Boss struck a fighting pose. "I have attained ultra speed by training, and training, and training, all while wearing 100-ton boxers!! Can your eyes keep up with _moi_?" Mid-Boss darted at Laharl. "Here I come! The throne is mine!!"

Mid-Boss delivered a kick to Laharl, following up with a punch. As Laharl tried to regain his bearings, it seemed like Mid-Boss was teleporting around… of course, he wasn't, but since the Sassy Demon was always moving around, every time Laharl blinked Mid-Boss was in a new location.

"Am I too much for you?" Mid-Boss taunted, "Has my newfound power stymied you, o Prince? You cannot be Overlord if you are unable to adjust to sudden changes!"

Mid-Boss gave Laharl another kick, sending the Prince into a pond.

"Laharl!" Flonne cried in worry.

Sputtering, Laharl jumped out of the pond, taking an almost predatory stance in a tree.

"He has to slow down eventually…" He muttered, trying to keep his eye on Mid-Boss, "And when he does, he's mine!"

"What's the matter, Prince?" Mid-Boss called out mockingly, "You cannot win if you hide!"

It was at that moment that Mid-Boss slipped on a puddle Laharl made when he was sent in and left the pond.

"Now's my chance!" Laharl jumped from the tree onto Mid-Boss, and proceeded to beat on the so-called Dark Adonis.

"All that super-speed is useless if I can get a hold of you!" Laharl laughed, enjoying the feeling of his fists on Mid-Boss' head.

Growling, Mid-Boss swatted Laharl off with a swift swing of his legs.

"I'll show you what my speed can do!" Mid-Boss sniffed, "Adonic Fury!"

Mid-Boss vanished- and reappeared next to Laharl. In fact, four Mid-Boss' appeared next Laharl, encircling him.

"What?!" Laharl gasped, shocked. He have time to say anything else, as the Mid-Boss' began to beat on him mercilessly.

"Whoa!" Etna cried, "That's some high-level stuff!"

"Why, what's Mr. Mid-Boss doing?" Flonne asked, worried.

"He's moving and stopping so fast," Etna explained, "That it looks like there's four of him! It's like that thing where you shake your hand in front of your eyes, and it looks there are two hands!"

"Incredible!" Flonne gasped.

"Take this!" Mid-Boss crowed, and he sent Laharl flying into the air with an energy beam. "Haaaahahaha! AS you can see, if my speed increases, so does my strength! What do you think of me now, Prince… Prince?"

Mid-Boss then realized that there were multiple fireballs surrounding him. What happened next, was inevitable.

FWOOM!

Laharl landed on his feet and looked at the smoldering wreck that was Mid-Boss. "I've learned a new trick myself, thank you very much." He smirked.

"Ugh…!" Mid-Boss groaned, getting back up. "Oooh…!!" He clutched his stomach.

Laharl raised an eyebrow.

"Sudden stomach cramps…!!" Mid-Boss grunted. He straightened up and said, "Just when I was getting started… I-I beg your pardon, but I need to use the restroom. Consider yourself lucky. You've been spared." Mid-Boss waved goodbye. "_Au revoir!!_"

Mid-Boss vanished into the trees, leaving the trio alone.

"He ran away…" Laharl remarked.

Etna shook her head. "His excuses are getting more and more pathetic."

Flonne then realized something. Looking around, she asked, "Huh? So… is that it?"

Laharl caught on to what she was saying. "That means…" He grinned. "I'm the Overlord!!" He began to jump into the air, cheering. "Overlord! Overlord!! Overlord!!"

Etna rubbed her chin. "Hmmm… The Prince is now the Overlord… It's sooooo hard to believe."

Flonne giggled. "Now, now," She gestured towards Laharl, who was still doing his happy-hop, "Look at him. He is so happy… He pretends to be evil, but he can be cute sometimes."

"You think?" Etna looked at the hopping Laharl. "He's just a kid, that's all." She looked back at Flonne. "Anyway, shouldn't you be worried?"

"Huh?" Flonne glanced at Etna. "What do you mean?"

"You helped the Prince become the Overlord," Etna explained.

Flonne wasn't sure what that meant. "Uh…" Then it hit her.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In Celestia, Seraph Lamington was busy trimming some of his bonsai plants when heard a familiar voice call out to him.

"Master Lamington! Master Lamington, are you here!?"

Lamington sighed, and turned to see Vulcanus rush into his green house.

"You make a ruckus every time you are here to see me, Vulcanus," Lamington sighed, "What is it this time?"

"How can I not make a commotion?" Vulcanus grunted, "LAharl, the son of King Krichevskoy, has been crowned the new Overlord!"

"Hmmm…" Lamington did not see what the big deal was. It was expected that Laharl would take his father's place.

"That's not all! That trainee Flonne helped him win the throne!" Vulcanus growled.

Lamington raised an eyebrow. "…Is that so?"

"This is no longer a case of disobeying orders," Vulcanus gritted his teeth in apprehension, "This is treason!"

Lamington turned back to his bonsai. "You are correct."

Vulcanus stared at the Seraph's back until he lost patience and asked, "…So, what are you planning to do!?"

"Hmmm…" Lamington sighed, examining his bonsai, "I will need to think about it.

"Think about it?" Vulcanus repeated, getting angry, "Think about it you say?! This is a grave matter!! We can't just ignore it!" Vulcanus made for the door, and said, "I will handle this problem! You have no objections, do you!?"

Lamington turned in time to see Vulcanus leave, and sighed.

"…Oh, dear…"

The Seraph turned back to his table, and saw two potted plants, a rose and a daffodil. Curious, Lamington used some of his power to will them into a single pot, together. Things were becoming very interesting…

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Back in the Netherworld, Flonne was undergoing a panic-attack.

"W-w-w-w-w-what should I do!?" She shrieked, "If the Seraph hears of this, there is no telling what punishment awaits me!" A horrible thought hit her. "I might be dismissed from my Angel Trainee postion!"

Etna shrugged. "Who cares? Why don't you change jobs now and become a demon?" Flonne had been in the castle long enough, and seemed to stand Laharl's attitude. It wouldn't be that big a change.

"Nooooooo!" Flonne wailed, and put her hands together in prayer. "Oh, Master Lamington! Please guide me!"

And Laharl kept cheering…

"Overlord! Overlord! Overlord!"

Episode 6

Laharl's Challenge

**End**

A/n: Another chapter done! And, I wanna say, this was really funny! And for one reason!

Mid-Boss: My debonair wit?

A/n: No! The Prism Rangers! They may be lousy heroes, but they make excellent comics!

Mid-Boss: Parody is the only way to get a laugh, it seems. I supposed you'll have Etna do the preview again?

A/n: Nah, I'll think we'll try something different this time…

-Episode 7 Preview-

Flonne: The evil Empress Etna has sent monsters to take over the world!! But when evil creeps up on people, Flonne, the messenger of love, comes to the rescue! As long as evil exists, Flonne's battle will never end!! Run, Flonne! Don't lose heart, Flonne! Let the people's cheers bring you courage! Trannnnsforrrrrrmmmmm! Guardian Flonne!! Next on _Guardian Flonne: Warrior of Love_, Episode 7: _Drop Dead, Etna!_ Always keep love in your heart. *giggle* I always wanted to try this!

Etna: Flonne, whatcha doing?

Flonne: Oh, hi Et...

SFX: BANG! BANG! THUMP!


	7. Of Being an Overlord

Laharl sat on his throne, deep in thought. Pulling out a breath spray, Laharl gave the inside of his mouth a few sprits.

"Hmhmhm…" He chuckled, and then frowned. That was a bit too deep.

"Hmhmhm…!" He chuckled again, but less-deep. He grinned. That was it!

"Haaaahahahaha!!" He laughed out loud, having now achieved that perfect pitch. His cackles of malice echoed throughout the halls of the Castle.

Flonne, staring up at the Pri-Overlord, felt a bead of sweat run down her temple.

"Geez…" She remarked, "You just keep laughing and laughing."

Laharl looked down at Flonne and ceased laughing. "How can I not?" He asked, grinning. "I'm now the Overlord. That means I'm the most eminent demon in all the Netherworld."

"I am aware of that." Flonne replied.

Boy, was she aware! Laharl wouldn't stop telling people, culminating in a self-sponsored coronation party that made several college frat parties, and certain wars, look quiet and peaceful. In the aftermath, several acres of Netherworld property had been devastated, while the eardrums and colons of 90 percent of the participating demons had to be replaced.

"But, ever since you've become the Overlord," Flonne continued, "You have done nothing but laugh."

Laharl shook his head. "You don't understand a thing," He said in a pitying tone, "Laughing is a very important aspect of being the Overlord. Besides, there isn't any urgent matter that's suitable for my first act as King Laharl the Terrible."

No sooner had the words left his fanged mouth did Etna, that ever-cheerful bringing of bad news, stride in.

"Oh Prince," She sang, "I got a job for ya."

Laharl shot Etna a look that, while it wouldn't melt glass, would cause it to burn anyone dumb enough to be touching said glass.

"Call me 'Your Highness'," He said firmly, "I'm the Overlord now."

Etna shrugged it off. "Aww, come on… That's a minor detail."

"MINOR detail…?" For a brief moment, Laharl fantasized Etna being burned at the stake, while being lowered into a boiling cauldron as Prinnies had her drawn and quartered.

After a minute of these fantasies, he asked, "…So, what kind of job is it?" A nasty smile grew on the Overlord's face. "You want me to rain pepper on Earth so they can't stop sneezing? Or, do you want me to give human kids an addictive video game that will deprive them of their sleep?"

Etna gave Laharl a weird look, the kind usually reserved for babbling lunatics. "Uhh… No." Looking over her shoulder, she called out, "Come in, Aramis."

In walked a small demon boy, only about an inch shorter than Laharl. He had long red hair that went halfway down his back, green clothing, and a black collar that hung loosely around his neck

"Who's this kid?" Laharl asked.

"Don't call me a kid," The boy, Aramis, responded, "You're more of a kid yourself."

"What?!" Laharl stood up and looked down on Aramis, his eyes red and antenna pointed. "Who the hell do you think I am!?"

"Now, now," Flonne said soothingly. "He is just a child."

"Shut up, flat-chest." Aramis told her shortly.

THAT did it. Flonne's eyes burned with the righteous fire of the heavens.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, YOU…?!" For a minute, it looked like Flonne would throttle the child, until she caught herself at the last second.

"I mustn't!" She gasped, "At times like is the answer! With love, there is understanding!"

Aramis gave Flonne a weird look before looking back at Laharl.

"Hey, does she have a few screws loose or somethin'?" he asked, jerking his thumb at Flonne.

"Hmph…!" Laharl sat back down and crossed his arms. "You've got some attitude, kid." For some reason, he felt annoyed that Aramis had spoken rather poorly of Flonne.

"Just like you, Prince." Etna grinned.

"Yeah, right," Laharl grumbled. Louder, he asked, "So, what's he got to do with the job?"

"Oh, yeah," Etna had almost forgotten. "His pets are missing."

"Hm?" Laharl raised an eyebrow. "…And?" He prompted, having a bad feeling where this was heading. She wasn't going to ask…?

But she did.

"And your jobs to look for them." Etna said cheerfully.

Laharl's eyes went red again, and he boomed, "Why would I, the Overlord, look for some stupid little brat's pets!?"

Etna frowned.

"Ridiculous!" He ranted, "Absolutely ridiculous!! Bring me something more fitting for my first task as Overlord!!"

"I refuse!!" Etna yelled, a sour expression on her face.

Laharl almost fell of his throne. He glared down at Etna.

Off to the side, Flonne panicked. What would Laharl do in the face of this, something he would surely perceive as direct rebellion!?

"It may seem ridiculous to you, but it's important to him!!" Etna explained, "This is a perfect way to begin your rule as Overlord!" Gritting her teeth, Etna finished with, "And if you don't do it, I'm never gonna accept you as the Overlord!"

Laharl began to fidget in the face of Etna's resolve.

"W-what are you getting so mad for?" He asked uneasily, "It's not like you."

"Answer me!" Etna demanded, "Will you do it or not?"

Laharl didn't like this. In fact, he hated it. But what could he do? Etna controlled the castle's Prinnies, and without her support, none of the housekeeping would get done. He had no choice.

"Ugh…" He sighed, feeling the sting of defeat. "F-fine! I'll do it, I'll do it."

Aramis nodded. "Good!...And you better not slack off!" He added, and marched out of the throne room.

"Ugh…!" Laharl slumped back in the throne. "Why am I, the Overlord of the Netherworld, taking orders from this annoying brat…?

Episode 7

Of Being an Overlord

Laharl looked around the throne room. At their usual posts, Dratti, Manty, and Goleck were sleeping, recovering from the coronation party mentioned before. Watching them doze, he couldn't help but remember what they had said in between drinks, on his becoming Overlord…

"_The Prince is now King…" Dratti sighed, forlorn._

"_You don't seem too happy." Flonne remarked._

"_I'm not unhappy," Dratti explained, "It's just that I've always thought King Krichevskoy as the one and only King."_

"_Yeah," Etna nodded, "I can understand that."_

_Meanwhile, Gargo and Manty had Laharl occupied with some banter of their own._

"_It was only yesterday diapers, and now you're the Overlord…" Gargo said wistfully, "What is the world coming to?"_

_Laharl gave Gargo a mean look. "…And what are you getting at?"_

_Before Gargo could explain himself, Manty said, in a solemn tone, "Your true value as Overlord will be decided by your future, not your past. Please live up to your name, my Overlord."_

_This wasn't like Manty. Laharl felt an alarm go off somewhere in his mind. "W-what are you all serious for?"_

"_Hahaha," Manty chuckled, "Don't worry, Prince. It was just a joke."_

"_I don't get demon jokes…" Flonne murmured, having overheard the conversation._

"Prince!"

Laharl looked over. Goleck had awakened. However, he had also made a big mistake. Laharl glared at Goleck, refusing to answer.

Goleck seemed to realize the verbal blunder he had done, and corrected himself by saying, "You highness!" Goleck then frowned. "King Laharl!...There's no ring to that," Goleck decided. "I think I'll stick with Prince."

Laharl stared at the Golem. Why did he even bother…?

"Laharl?"

Laharl turned around to see Flonne.

"Are you ready to go?" She asked sweetly.

"Yeah, yeah…" Laharl muttered. Then he noticed something. "Hey, where'd Etna go?"

"I think she had to use the bathroom." Flonne answered.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In her secret room, Etna jotted down another entry in her journal, titled, 'Eternal Loyalty.'

_Even though there are still gaps, my memories are slowly coming back..._

_One thing I remember... When I first started as a servant in the castle..._

_Every day was hard..._

_I lost heart, and my will to live was fading..._

_At times, I even welcomed death..._

_That was when the King reached out his hand to me..._

_I wanted to help him... I wanted to be praised by him... I wanted to be accepted by him..._

_I never felt like that before..._

_And so, I pledged my loyalty to him..._

_Even when I lost my memories, that loyalty remained..._

_Even now... and forever... My feelings will never change..._

Satisfied, and maybe a little sad, Etna closed the journal and left for the portal room.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In the portal room, Laharl found Aramis by the portal, munching on some takoyai purchased at the Rosen Queen Co. Netherworld Branch.

"You took your sweet time." Aramis commented between chews.

"Shut up," Laharl growled, "I was making sure the Castle would safe in my absence. I'm in charge of the whole Netherworld, you should be glad I'm taking time from my busy schedule to look for your dumb pets!"

Flonne couldn't help but shake her head. ("All he was doing was laugh…")

It was then that Etna popped up.

"Okay! Is everyone ready to go?" She asked, grinning broadly, "All those little details taken care of?"

"Of course we're ready," Laharl snarled, "Let's get this over with." Turning to Aramis, he asked, "Okay, squirt, where'd you lose those pets?"

"Beats me where they are," Aramis snorted, "If I knew, I wouldn't be asking YOU for help. They just wandered off while I was sleeping."

Laharl facepalmed and restrained the growing homicidal urges building up. Were they going to have to search the entire Netherworld!?

It was at that time that Fiona spoke up.

"Have you heard what's happening at 'Salamander's Breath'? Supposedly, there's been a flood of Zombies there, Prince." She said.

Laharl thought about it. "Zombies, huh…"

"Could it be that Aramis' pet has been eaten by Zombies?" Flonne gasped, visualizing a puppy being chewed on by a Zomibe.

"It's as good as any place to start," Laharl decided. To Fiona, he said, "Open the portal there!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Salamander's Breath, an area of the Netherworld located in the same volcanic region as the Blazing Core, only not as hot. It got its name from the smell of sulfur created by the many vents that pocketed the landscape.

When Laharl and company arrived, it seemed like the smell was worse than usual.

"Ah! Miss Etna!" Aramis cried, the only one not holding his nose. "That's one of my pets over there!" With another word, he charged off.

Flonne, wearing a clothespin over he nose, asked Etna, "Why is he only polite to you?"

Etna, wearing a gas mask, replied cheekily, "It's all about the special training I gave him."

Flonne smiled. "Oh, I get it! It's the power of love!"

"…Sure, whatever you say." Etna wondered how Flonne managed to turn everything to love, and if she should be impressed or worried.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In the Scorching Wind, known for the 'breeze' several lined vents created, the gang found a rotting Zombie, the smell of its flesh worsened by the high temperatures.

OooooOooooooooOOhhh…" It moaned, not liking the heat either.

"A zombie." Laharl remarked through the breath mask he wore.

"A zombie it is." Flonne agreed.

"Hey, brat," Laharl motioned for Aramis and waved at the Zombie. "Don't tell me this is one of your pets."

"Yeah," Aramis replied, "You got a problem with a that?"

Laharl shook his head. "No. Actually, I like it. You've got good taste, kid."

"A zombie for a pet, huh…" Flonne wondered, imagining what it must be like to groom and housetrain a rotting corpse that moved. "So… how do we catch it?"

Laharl shrugged. "Why not do the same thing we always do?"

"I guess that would work," Etna replied, "I mean, Zombies are already dead," She whipped out her spear, a mad smile on her face. "Then, let the massacre begin!"

"Agreed!" Laharl whipped out his sword.

As the two of them began to pulverize the reanimated corpse, Flonne couldn't help but say, though they weren't listening, "Um, are you sure that's okay…?"

She got no answer. Laharl and Etna were too busy. Looking at Aramis, Flonne asked, "How many of these Zombies do you have as pets?"

"Fifty-three."

"What!?"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

It didn't take too long to deal with that particular Zombie, and soon it was stuffed into a large sack. Flonne couldn't help but notice that there were two distinct types of Zombies; the moaning, wandering, aimless ones, and the more energetic and talkative Zombies, like Zommie. When she brought this particular subject up, Aramis told her that it all depended on what condition the Zombie's brain is, and Zommie's brain was particularly well preserved.

Eventually, the party moved on to the Column of Fire, a giant mound of rock that seemed to jut out from the ground, like a big, hard pimple. It was crawling with Zombies.

Laharl was not happy with this. But he wasn't upset, either.

"Boring." He sighed.

"Quit complaining," Etna ordered, "You wanna be a great Overlord or not?"

Flonne was surprised to hear this. She had never seen Etna take such an interest in Laharl's ambitions to rule the Netherworld up until now. Before, all she had seen were hints that Etna was planning to take the throne the next time he wasn't looking.

"You are serious today, Etna," The Angel Trainee couldn't help but comment.

"I'm always serious," Etna replied. She sat down on a seat-sized rock, and bid Flonne to do the same. "Besides, the Prince needs to start acting more like his father."

"You mean, King Krichevskoy?" Flonne asked, raising her voice so it could be heard over the sound Laharl's merciless execution of the Zombies.

"Uh huh," Etna nodded. "Back when I started working in the Castle…" Etna trailed off, frowning. Her eyes clouded over as she regained her voice. "I was teased and picked on for being a commoner."

Flonne was shocked. "YOU were? That's hard to believe."

"At that time, I was still very naïve. I was a scared little girl," Etna explained, her eyes clearing. "The only thing that helped me get through the day was my faithful pet."

Flonne suddenly had an image of Etna, dressed as Dorothy Gail, skipping down the yellow brick road with Toto.

"But," Etna continued, her eyes clouding over again, "One day, I found him dead. Those damn demons killed him…"

Flonne felt her eyes tear over. "How cruel…" She was starting to realize why some angels thought demons were evil…with those examples, it was an easy conclusion to come to.

"With no way to get back at them, I just cried…" Etna said mournfully, "That was when the King reached out his hand to me…" As she spoke, Etna's voice seemed to grow stronger. "When I told him what had happened, he helped me bury my pet."

Hearing that, Flonne couldn't help but smile. "He must have been a kind man."

Etna blinked. "Kind…?" She repeated, confused. "I don't know what kindness feels like, but he was a great man, and one that I respected. That was why I pledged to him my deepest loyalty." Etna glanced to where Laharl was pummeling the Zombies, and her eyes hardened. "But, the Prince… He's still not fit to succeed King Krichevskoy as the Overlord."

"So, that's why you want Laharl to become just like his father…?" Flonne asked. She then giggled. "I see. You worry about Laharl after all. That's love."

"I doubt it," Etna shrugged, "If he fails, I'll just kill him."  
"WHAT?!" Flonne shrieked.

"Ahaha…" Etna grinned, even though her eardrums were ringing. "Just kidding."

And with that, Etna stood up, dusted herself off, and walked over to where Laharl and a pile of unconscious Zombies were lying.

"Etna… You're starting to scare me…" Flonne murmured uneasily.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Defeating a Zombie, if you are strong enough, is no difficult trick. Zombies, if allowed to rot before being animated, are sluggish and slow moving. While their foul breath may be a serious factor, Zombies in general were not skilled fighters. However, the fact they were among the undead meant that they were also slow to stop moving when sufficiently beaten. By the time Laharl and company had moved to and past the Raging Earth to the Crimson Plains, where more Zombies awaited, Laharl was getting suitably fed up.

"GwoooooooOooOoooohhhhh…" They moaned as Laharl's group came forth and beat the snot out of them.

"Geez…" Laharl muttered, watching the Zombies get back up. "These Zombies aren't challenging at all, they're just plain bothersome."

"Well, they DO come back to life after you kill them." Etna commented.

Laharl closed his eyes in thought. Opening them, he said to Aramis, "Hey, brat. Is it okay with you if we tear your pets to shreds so they won't bother us for a while?"

"Go ahead," Aramis shrugged, "I take them apart and put them back together again all the time."

"I used to do that too, when I was a kid!" Etna laughed, "Ahh, those were the days."

"Stop reminiscing about your childhood." Laharl told her sternly.

Flonne watched this with a strange expression on her face.

"…Do all demon children play this way?" She asked.

"Don't worry. Just those two." Laharl answered, glancing at Etna and Aramis.

And so, with that little detail clarified, the capture of the Zombies went noticeably quicker, thanks to the revelation that Laharl didn't have to keep them in one piece. In fact, Laharl even went as far as to tear the Zombies previously captured into pieces, 'just to make sure.'

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

After effectively hacking almost every moving corpse crawling around Salamander's Breath, Laharl and company arrived at the last Zombie, in the Ember of Dreams, widely acknowledged as the most romantic point in region.

"GwooooooooooooOoooooOoohhhh…!!" The last Zombie moaned fiercely- well, more fierce than your usual Zombie.

"Kill one, and another appears…" Laharl groaned, "Zombies, Zombies, Zombies…!! I'm getting sick and tired of this…"

"You better stay alert, or else, you'll be sorry," Aramis warned, not taking his eyes of the Zombie. "Check out that Zombie."

"What about it?" Laharl scoffed. It was just another Zombie to him, another mundanely slow moving corpse.

"Amature," Aramis sighed, "THAT is my masterpiece," Aramis' voice took on a proud tone as he described the Zombie. "The fists of a Dark Karate master… The legs of the faster demon in the Netherworld… The brain of Mahogany, a famous sorcerer… The iron body of Hercules… And a horse wiener all combined into one: The Netherworld's ultimate Zombie!!"

Laharl didn't pay too much attention to Aramis' speech. While the other demon child was talking, Laharl let his eyes wander all over the Zombie's body. It wasn't until Laharl noticed an unsightly bulge between the Zombie's crotch that he heard the last part of Aramis' description.

"What'd you say!?" He exclaimed, horrified. "A horse wiener!? Now, THAT's dangerous! Guys, don't let your guard down!!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth did the Zombie charge at the group, moving with all the grace and power of a track star. The band quickly scattered, dodging the punch the Zombie threw. This act of movement had a very noticeable effect on the Zombie's body, that the live'uns could see, much to their regret and disgust.

"Ewww!" Flonne squealed, covering her eyes.

"Aramis, you're a great Zombie-caretaker," Etna cried, holding down her lunch. "But I think you went too far on this one!"

"Hey, when you make perfection, you go all the way!" Aramis defended.

"Well, I'm gonna go and blast that perfection to smithereens!" Laharl roared, and threw up an assortment of fireballs into the air. "Overlord's Wrath!"

BABABABOOM!

"Did I get him?" Laharl asked, looking at where his fireballs and the Zombie connected.

"Hey, Prince!" Etna yelled from afar, "You're supposed to capture, not burn to ashes!"

"Shaddup!" Laharl snapped, "If this thing's as good as the brat says, it should survive a love-tap like that!!"

Not only did the Zombie survive the attack, but it leapt out from the smoke, barely charred, and began to pummel Laharl with a series of quick jabs and kicks.

"Ow! Ow-owowowow! Stop that!" Laharl yelled as he got pummeled. As it turned out, this Zombie could really punch, and seemed to be targeting the joints on his body. Thinking quickly, Laharl swung his sword down-

SWISH!

-And chopped off the Zombie's left arm.

"Well, that's over…" Laharl was cut off when the Zombie gave him a punch in the jaw with its _right _arm. Furious, Laharl chopped off that arm as well, where it landed next to the left.

"Okay, now it's over…" Laharl was once again cut off, as the Zombie began to ram its head into Laharl. His ire now officially ready to be unleashed, Laharl began to systematically chop off every last limb connected to the Zombie's torso. EVERY LAST ONE.

"…Right, what say we call it a draw?" the Zombie's head asked at last. For that, Laharl gave it a good punt, where it landed in the sack.

Turning back to Aramis, Laharl said, "Here, I caught 'em all. So, quit your complaining."

Aramis said nothing, looking into the sack.

"…What? What's the problem now?" Laharl demanded, getting annoyed. IF this brat had some grip with how the Zombies ended up, it wasn't HIS fault!

"…Thank you, Your Highness." Aramis said at last, tying the sack up.

"H-Hmph!" Laharl snorted, "Well, it IS part of my job as the Overlord…" He smirked. "And don't bother to thank me. If you want to show your gratitude, you can repay me with your body."

"Hmmm…" Etna grinned, "I never knew you were like that…"

Laharl shot Etna a dark look. "Idiot!" He snarled, "I meant, become my vassal and serve me when you're old enough!"

Aramis actually bowed his head. "…Yes, Your Highness."

"Speak to me with respect from now on, got it?" Laharl ordered, enjoying Aramis' newfound humility.

"Yes, Your Highness!" Aramis replied earnestly.

As Aramis went to drag his sack of dead body parts away, Laharl chuckled.

"Hmhmhm… Haaahahahaha!!!!" Laharl laughed, "Did you hear that, Etna? That kid called me 'Your Highness'," He gave Etna a challenging grin. "So? Do you accept me as Overlord now?"

Etna gave Laharl an appraising look before shrugging. "Well…you pass for the time being. But be careful not to flunk out." She capped off her statement with a Cheshire cat grin.

"Ugh…!" Laharl grunted, "Why you…!"

"Talk about strict." Flonne giggled. ("Still, Laharl has changed quite a bit since the first time I met him. He is maturing little by litte as he meets new people. And it feels like I have changed, too…since meeting him and his companions. If you open your heart, you will surely grow and learn many new things…whether you're an angel…or a demon… If I can explain this to other angels, maybe they'll see that not all demons are evil… And someday…")

Episode 7

Of Being an Overlord

**End**

A/N: Well, I'm glad to get that one out of the way. You know, it's hard to do levels where the action isn't connected to the plot. I mean, the one problem with Disgaea is that each level is just another battle. It's hard to write a battle every other paragraph. So sometimes I figure, 'Aw, t'heck with it' and skip the fight entirely. By the way, you really do have to defeat 53 Zombies in this episode. I counted!

Aramis: …You copied my ultimate Zombie's final words from that human movie, _Monty Python and Holy Grail_, didn't you?

A/N: Yes, I did. It was too good to pass up! Anyway, what's next, Etna?

-Episode 8 preview-

Etna: Those seemingly innocent Prinnies... It turns out they were hiding a big secret!

Prinny: It wouldn't be a secret is it wasn't hidden, dood.

Etna: When the Prinnies' evil spirits join as one, they form Pringer X, the mighty super robot!!

Prinny: Dude, we can't do that...

Etna: Here goes! Pringer Spiral Plasma Chop! Gotcha! Pringer Aurora Triangle Kick!! This is it! Pringer Spinning Drill Attack!!!

Prinny: Uh, dood, hello...

Etna: Next on _Lovely Mad Scientist Etna_, Episode 8: _Farewell, Pringer X_.

Prinny: Dood!? You're killing us off!?

Etna: No worries! Pringer X will be reborn as the more powerful Pringer Z!

Prinny: I'm tellin ya, it ain't gonna happen, dood.


	8. Reincarnation

Late one night, Flonne sat in her bed, reading a novelization of the Prism Rangers movie. It was about 11:30 and she was about to nod off when Flonne heard the singing…

"_Red moon, red moon…_

_Cleanses the sinful and makes them anew..._

_Shining brightly in the night sky,_

_waiting for the souls..._

_Who will be born again tonight?_

_Who will be born again tonight?"_

"Hmm…" Flonne murmured, half asleep. "Mmm… Hmm?" Waking up, she looked around. "Who would be singing at this hour?"

Getting up, Flonne left her room and walked around the Castle, trying to locate the source of song. Eventually, her quest led her to the throne room, where she saw a group of Prinnies march, single-file, towards the hall that led to the portal room.

"Prinnies…?" the Angel Trainee called out softly, trying to get their attention without waking the castle.

The Prinnies stopped, and turned around to face Flonne. They bowed, and resumed their march of the penguins.

"Umm… Where are you going…?" Flonne asked, confused. As far as she knew, the Prinny Squad didn't have any duties outside of patrol and housekeeping at night. Confused, she moved towards them.

"…Don't try to stop them."

"Huh?" Blinking, Flonne looked around to the source of the voice. To her surprise, she found that red Prinny that was periodically seen around the castle. The one the other Prinnies called 'Big Sis'…

"Just let them be," Big Sis continued, "They were finally able to atone for their sins. The only thing we can do now is pray for their happiness in their next lives…"

Flonne stared at Big Sis, thoroughly confused. What did she mean?

("Oh, is this what they mean when they say 'fly-by-night'?") She wondered, thinking it over. It was a mystery, but the real mystery was Big Sis. She had never seen a Prinny like her, in Celestia or the Netherworld.

"Ummm…" Flonne began, not sure how she should phrase her question.

"Yes?" Big Sis asked, inviting Flonne to speak her mind.

No point dancing around. "You seem different from other Prinnies," Flonne stated, giving Big Sis an inquisitive eye. "Were you the one who gave me medicine when I lost my pendent?"

Big Sis fell back, sweating profusely. "Wh-what are you talking about?" She asked, nervous.

"You even speak differently than the rest of them." Flonne pointed out. Not once had she heard Big Sis say 'dood'.

"Wh-what do you mean…dood?" Big Sis asked, sweating. "I'm the same as the others…dood."

Flonne wasn't so sure about that, but decided not press the issue. "…I understand." She said at last. "You have your reasons, right? Okay then… I'll just direct this to whoever might be listening," Flonne smiled brightly at Big Sis. "Thank you for your help."

Flonne bowed, and turned around. As she began to walk away, Big Sis said to her, "…Flonne."

Flonne stopped, and looked over her shoulder.

"S-since you came, the Prince has changed," Big Sis said, "…Dood."

"Huh?" Flonne turned around to fully address Big Sis. "You really think so?"

Big Sis smiled as best a Prinny could. "Sure, dood."

Now it was Flonne's turn to smile. "Thank goodness," She sighed, "They say that I see things the way I want them to be, so I wasn't sure if Laharl has actually changed or not. But, it can't just be my imagination, if you've noticed a difference, too." Flonne's smile grew even bigger and brighter. "Love is magnificent!"

Big Sis chuckled at Flonne's happiness. "Heh… It surely is…"

Episode 8

Reincarnation

The following morning, Flonne stepped into the throne room, feeling light as an angel's feather. Last night's discussion with Big Sis Prinny had given her a good feeling, and nothing could ruin it today!

"What?" Laharl asked Etna.

Except maybe that. Flonne walked over to where Laharl and Etna were talking.

"Like I said," Etna reiterated tiredly, "Several Prinnies are missing!"

"Why?!" Laharl demanded angrily.

Etna put her fists on her hips and glared at Laharl. Why was he getting mad at her for!? It wasn't her fault!

"How should I know?" Etna huffed, "Maybe they ran away because you treated them so badly."

"Hmmm…" Laharl thought about it. "C-come to think of it, 20-hour workdays with no days off WAS a bit harsh…"

Flonne was shocked. In fact, she was appalled.

"In conditions like that, it's no wonder that they chose to fly-by-night." She stated, frowning at Laharl.

"Fly-by-night?" Laharl repeated, confused. He gave Flonne a suspicious look. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

Flonne panicked. What could she say? She quickly averted her eyes, looking heavenward. "Uh, no… Nothing at all."

"Prince."

Everyone looked to see Big Sis Prinny wheel in a plate of pancakes with a fork stuck in the top. Laharl ate the entire stack, fork included, in a single gulp.

"Huh? What?" He asked, swallowing. He spat the fork, now horribly bent, where it jammed itself into Goleck's forehead by force of his exportation.

Unaffected by Laharl's lack of manners, Big Sis said, "Don't worry, they'll be alright…" Big Sis glanced at Flonne before adding, "Dood."

"I'm not worried about THEM!" Laharl thundered, "If people hear that I let my vassals escape, I'll lose all respect!" He clenched his fist and held it up for all to see. "That's why we're gonna find them! …Even if it is a big waste of time!"

"That's so mean!" Flonne cried, "You don't have to say it like that…!"

Etna shrugged. "Take it easy, Flonne. He's just too embarrassed to admit the truth."

Flonne stared at Laharl for a full minute before looking at Etna. "…Really?"

"Yeah…" Etna replied, before glancing at Laharl, unsure. "…I think."

Flonne followed Etna's gaze, frowning. This felt so wrong…

"Well, Prinnies are humans after all," Manty remarked from the side, "I guess life in the Netherworld is something they'll never get used to."

"I don't think they're that delicate…" Etna replied, shaking her head.

"Who cares!" Laharl snarled, "Let's get moving!"

As the trio left the throne room, they were stopped by Dratti.

"What? What is it?" Laharl asked, irritated.

"I've keeping this a secret…" Dratti giggled, and leaned forward to reveal some great mystery. "I'm actually a female."

Dratti walked off giggling, leaving the three thoroughly disturbed.

"I… I had no idea." Flonne commented.

"I…I need to use the bathroom." Etna declared, zipping off.

"Uh…yeah," Laharl said slowly, still staring after Dratti. "We'll…meet you by the portal."

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In her secret place, Etna jotted down another entry in her journal. Dratti's confession on her true gender had brought up another memory of the King, but this one was not pleasant. In fact, it was probably one of the most painful memories of all…

She called it 'Hatred'.

_More and more is coming back to me with each passing day... I remember the time... ...the time the King and Queen first met._

_A demon falling in love with a human... I felt the King was going somewhere out of my reach..._

_His happy face... The first time I saw his smile..._

_My heart ached..._

_As I watched the King smiling, I felt my hatred for the Queen grow..._

_My loyalty to the King... I felt like all my feelings were being ignored because of that woman..._

_......_

_And then, the Prince was born..._

_The son of the King... The son of that woman..._

_I was torn by opposing feelings back then... Things have started to change recently._

_But, my feelings toward the Queen ended before I could deal with them..._

Wiping a rare tear from her eye, Etna closed the diary, and glanced at the portrait of King Krichevskoy, the one stolen from Dinero Palace.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Outside, Laharl and Flonne were talking with Gargo and Ghoss, coincidentally near the secret entrance to Etna's secret place.

"I heard the Prinnies ran away," Ghoss commented to Laharl, "It's no surprise though, since they're working under you, Prince."

Laharl raised an eyebrow. "What is that supposed to mean?" He asked, glaring.

Ghoss waved a dismissive…flap. "Oh, come now! You know what I mean!"

At this time, the hidden door cracked open and Etna stuck her head out. Seeing the people crowding around, Etna almost went "Eep!" but noticed that none of them were actually looking in her direction. So, carefully, Etna slipped out, and closed the door as gently and quietly as she could. Afterwards, she snuck around the four, inching towards the door to the throne room.

"Hey, guys!" Etna called cheerfully, "Been waitin' long?"

"Long enough," Laharl said, giving Etna a look, "How come you always take so long to go to the bathroom? What are you doing in there?"

"Laharl!" Flonne hissed, embarrassed at Laharl's lack of manners.

Etna, however, was not put off by the Prince. "Oh, you know…" She grinned, "A little of this, a little of that… It's a BIG secret!"

Laharl rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's get going. We've wasted enough time here."

As Laharl and Etna left for the portal, Gargo stopped Flonne.

"Have you got a use for this?" He asked, and handed Flonne a pole with a magnificent ivory head, the Staff of Sorcery.

"Wow… Thank you!" Flonne said, and tucked the Staff away for later. Bowing her head in thanks, she left for the portal room.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Laharl stood in front of the portal, carefully examining the list of destinations available. The Prinnies had to be somewhere…but where?

Fiona stepped forward. "Prince, have you talked to the zombie over there?" She asked, gesturing towards Zommie, who was in fierce conflict with some cat's cradle. "He was bragging about having an important hint for you."

Laharl looked over his shoulder towards Zommie. The Zombie always seemed to no more than some would imagine... Unless he was drunk, or daydreaming.

Deciding 'What the hell', Laharl marched over to Zommie, clearing his throat to get the Zombie's attention.

Zommie looked up from his cat's cradle, and said, "Today, I'm going to give you a pretty straightforward hint."

Laharl did his best not to look eager.

"Go to the 'Lunar Snowfield'," Zommie said, "The Prinnies are there."

Laharl stared. "…You know," He said at last, "I don't think you can even call that a hint…"

But Zommie had already got back to work on the cat's cradle. Somewhat annoyed at the attitudes of his so-called vassals for the umpteenth time, Laharl stomped back to the portal, where Etna, Flonne, and Big Sis Prinny were waiting.

"Send us to the Lunar Snowfield." He ordered Fiona.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

The Lunar Snowfield was another area in the polar regions of the Netherworld. While cold, in comparison with the Frozen River and Jotenheim, it was positively warm and cozy. It also provided a terrific view of the stars and moon at night.

The party, unfortunately, had the bad luck of landing in a patch Treants during their mid-morning siesta.

"Ohhh boy." Etna muttered, looking around.

"Maybe they won't notice." Flonne whispered.

Just as she said that, every Treant around them woke up, and growled at the invited guests.

"You just HAD to say it." Etna sighed.

As the Treants moved in for the kill, Laharl lazily raised his fists.

FWOOM!

When the smoke cleared, all that was left were several piles of ashes.

"Heh," Laharl chuckled, "Too easy."

As the party moved onward, they soon found their path obstructed by pair of Galactic Demons- strange, oddly-shaped monsters that looked more at home in a science-fiction setting than the fantastic Netherworld, with their floating lumpy bodies, multiple eyes all over their fronts, and sliver-ish claws. Their very centers resembled jaws gnawing down on bright blue spheres. It was said that the Galactic Demons were born from the enternal black of the galactic abyss.

"Get out of my way," Laharl ordered, "Or I'll make you get."

"None shall pass." The Galactic Demons said in a united monotone.

"I'm the Overlord," Laharl said menacingly, "And I'm looking for a bunch of lazy vassals that think they can escape from me. So MOVE IT."

There was a pregnant pause the Galactic Demons took this in.

"Really?" The one on the left asked, interested.

"Damn right!" Laharl thrust his chest out in what could be considered a masculine pose.

"Cool," The other Galactic Demon on the right said, "But you're still not allowed to go past this point."

Laharl's eyes narrowed, and it looked pretty obvious what he would do next. Trying to dissuade the potential bloodshed, Flonne stepped forward, putting herself between the doomed Galactic Demons and the Prince.

"We're just looking for some Prinnies that might have-" Flonne began to say, but was cut off by the left-Galactic Demon.

"Prinnies!" It spat, "Prinnies, Prinnies, Prinnies! I'm sick of Prinnies!"

"A whole flock of them just passed through here a few hours ago," the right-Galactic Demon added, "Singing about red moons and stuff. Why, if I ever… Hey, where'd they go?"

As the two Galactic Demons looked before them, trying to figure out the reason behind Laharl and company's disappearance, they never noticed the party moving ahead behind them.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

As the party followed the Prinnies' tracks in the snow(Luckily, it was not supposed to snow today), time passed, going from morning to afternoon.

As they moved from the previous area, the Theatre of Death, to the Frigid Garden, known for its plant-shaped ice formations, Laharl noticed that Flonne's mind seemed to be somewhere else, moreso than usual. He remembered what she had said at the castle, and again wondered what she meant by that. He let her off the hook easily before, but now wanted an explanation.

"Hey!" He yelled at Flonne, "Hey, you!"

Flonne cocked her head, and looked around.

"Uhh… Me?" She asked, pointing at herself.

"Yeah, you," Laharl answered, and stepped towards her. "You really don't know anything about the Prinnies? You've been acting weird ever since this morning."

Flonne stared at Laharl for a good long moment before answering. "….I don't know anything. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell YOU!"

"Wh-what!?" Laharl cried, shocked. What was going on with Flonne now?

"Prince Laharl, I have a name, and it's Flonne," Flonne continued firmly, "It's not 'Hey!' or 'You!' You have never called me by my name, not even once, since the first time we met!"

"S-so?" Laharl replied, caught off-guard by all this. "What's it to you?"

"People's feelings are delicate," Flonne said firmly, "They can be hurt bu just the slightest insult. Laharl, you are too inconsiderate. You should approach people with more love," She pointed an accusing finger at the Prince. "The Prinnies ran away because you have no love!"

Laharl's eyes turned red, and his antenna-hair stood on end.

"What!?" He roared, furious. "You stupid Love Freak!! Who do you think I---"

"There!" Flonne cried, cutting him off. "That's the attitude I'm talking about! You'll never become a respected Overlord with an attitude like that!"

"…Flonne, that doesn't seem like the kind of advice an angel should be giving." Etna put in wryly.

"Ugh…!" Laharl grunted, "What do you know about being an Overlord!?" He moved forward, pushing Flonne aside. "Forget it! I'm not talking to you anymore!!"

Laharl stomped away, his face in an expression that could melt rock. To drive the point him, he glared at a tree-shaped ice formation and it melted instantly, leaving a column of steam in its demise.

Flonne frowned, but moved after him, followed by Etna and Big Sis.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Eventually the party left the Fridgid Garden entering the Freezing Souls. By that time, the sun was beginning to set, making way for night.

As they walked, Flonne couldn't help but wonder about Laharl.

"Etna." She said to the demon girl, getting her attention.

"Hm?"

"Why is Laharl so stubborn?" Flonne asked.

"Huh?!" Etna stared at Flonne in disbelief. "You kiddin'? He's always been like that."

Flonne shook her head. "I don't think that's entirely true. Haven't you noticed? His emotions are slowly changing." She looked ahead to Laharl's fuming form. "I thought that he'd finally awoken to the power of love…"

"Oh, hohoho…" Etna chuckled. Now she got it. "So, that's why you were so angry."

"Y-yes." Flonne replied. Why did Etna sound so amused?

Etna shook her head. Poor, naïve, Flonne. "Well, that's a demon for ya. You seem to have your hopes pretty high, but don't you think that asking for love from a demon is a bit ridiculous?"

Flonne looked crestfallen. "…You think so?"

Etna didn't answer. She looked ahead towards Laharl before saying, "Well, the Prince's case is a bit unique."

"Unique?" Flonne asked, intrigued.

"Yep…" Etna looked back at Flonne. "You see, his mother…" She paused for just a minute before continuing. "…The Queen, was an eccentric person. She was always talking about love and kindness."

"…That's not weird at all." Flonne commented.

"Well, I didn't hate her, but I guess she couldn't help it," Etna continued, "Being a human and all."

"A human?" Flonne couldn't believe what she was hearing. Laharl's mother, the wife of King Krichevskoy, the greatest of all demons…was human?

Etna nodded. "Yep. She a witch who came here to study. The King fell in love with her at first sight. And eventually, the Prince was born."

Was it Flonne's imagination, or was Etna upset about something?

"Hmmm," She hummed, "Is that so?"

"She was always saying stuff like, 'Demons can love, too.'" Etna continued, "Whenever the Prince did something bad, she would scold him, because she wanted to raise him to be a kind boy." An idea came to Etna as she said this. "Maybe you remind him of his mother, Flonne."

Flonne wondered if that was the truth. And she wondered about something else…

"If was raised that way, why is like this now…?" She asked.

Etna didn't say anything. Off to the side, Big Sis Prinny looked at her reflection in a frozen puddle.

"…The Queen died." Etna said at last, a sad expression on her face.

Flonne stared. "Huh…?"

"A long time ago, the Prince was infected with a rare disease, that even the King couldn't cure…" Etna explained sadly, "There was only one way to save him…"

Flonne didn't think she'd like the answer, but asked the question anyway. "Which was…?"

"The life of one who loved him…" Etna answered.

Flonne was dreading the direction this story was taking with every word. "Then…"

Etna nodded. "That's right… The Queen took her own life, despite the King's best efforts to stop her… It was at that point that the Prince started to hate love and kindness…"

Flonne felt tears begin to appear in her eyes. "How sad…" She whispered, "So unless his hatred fades, Laharl will have to live the rest of his life without love?" She sobbed. "…That's just not fair!"

"Maybe so…" Etna said, "But, I don't think he's intentionally trying to hate love. Hatred isn't something that just disappears, is it? Maybe you were a bit rough on him today."

Flonne gasped. She never thought of it that way!

"Well, don't try to get me involved." Etna said, walking forward after Laharl.

Flonne looked down at her feet in the snow, feeling bad for so many different reasons. After a minute, she followed after the party.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

By the time the party reached the end of Lunar Snowfield, night had fallen. The stars and moon were in full view, but there was something odd. The normally white moon had turned red, and there were many small balls of light, emanating from a lone cliff, were floating into the sky.

"What are…" Flonne gasped, amazed at the sight. "Those…?"

"Those for the souls of the Prinnies who've atoned for their sins…" Big Sis explained, "You know the legend, don't you? That inside the Prinnies are the souls of sinful humans…"

Flonne nodded. "Yes… And that they work in Celestia and the Netherworld to atone for those sins."

"That's right…" Big Sis agreed, "The red moon purifies their sins so they can be reborn…"

Flonne looked up at the sky, and could just barely seen the faces of humans being cleansed.

"What a heartwrenching sight…" She said softly.

Laharl, however, was not moved in the slightest.

"Etna!" He bellowed, pointing. "Stop them!"

"Prince, we're you listening?" Etna asked, exasperated. "The Prinnies are being reborn…"

Laharl's eyes turned red. "Shut up! I never gave them permission for that!" He charged for the cliff, sword raised. "We'll drag 'em back here if we have to!"

The girls quickly chased after Laharl, hoping to catch him before he caused a disaster. But just as Laharl reached the cliff, a dusky voice filled their ears.

"_Wait…"_

The party found themselves being confronted by a lone figure- A Shadow. Shadows were shade-like beings, who wrapped their dark selves inside heavy cloaks. And this one was standing between the party and the Prinnies.

"Who are you?" Laharl demanded, stepping forward.

"_Take… Prinnies'… souls… to… red… moon…" _The Shadow hissed, its empty voice echoing through the night sky. _"No… one… interfere…"_

Laharl raised a threatening fist. "We'll see about that!" He said, "Those Prinnies are mine!" He gritted his teeth. "They're my vassals… for all eternity!!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In Celestia, Lamington and his partner watched the events through the fountain.

"Are you worried?" Lamington asked.

"…Yes. It would be a lie to say I was not. But, I shall leave it to the one who loves him most…"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Back in the Netherworld, Laharl lunged at the Shadow, swinging his sword. The Shadow, true to its name, slipped away, causing the sword to hit a stone.

"_Ice Dance."_ The Shadow hissed, raising its hand. Dozens of sharp icicles shot at Laharl, forcing him back.

"Arrgh!" He cried, feeling one or two cut his skin. Growling, Laharl lunged at the Shadow, his fist on fire.

"Burning Knuckle!"

The Shadow jumped to avoid the pyrotechnic punch, just barely singing its cloak.

"_Fire Dance." _The tip of its hood glowed red, before sending out a fist-sized ball of fire at Laharl. The Prince quickly ducked his head back just in time for it to fly over his chin.

As the ground behind him exploded, Laharl threw up a few fireballs of his own.

"Overlord's Wrath!"

The fireballs converged onto the Shadow, battering it. Its cloak now completely singed, the Shadow moved in on Laharl, its fists glowing yellow.

"_Light Dance." _The Shadow shot out beams of light, causing anything they touched to erupt in flames.

However, this proved to be a mistake. Laharl quickly charged forward, rushing past the beams, and landed a hot punch in the Shadow's chest.

"Burning Knuckle!" He crowed.

FWOOM!

The Shadow backed away, hovering closer to the ground than before. It was beaten. Flonne, Etna, and Big Sis quickly came out from the rock they were hiding behind.

"_Ohhhhh…" _The Shadow groaned, "_Why… are… you… interfering… with… work…?"_

"Work?" Laharl asked, cocking his head. His anger at Flonne and the Prinnies' leaving now vented, he was now calm enough to listen to suggestions.

"That's right, dood," Big Sis said, "You shouldn't interfere with Death's work, dood. It's here to guide the souls of the Prinnies to the red moon, dood. If you truly value your vassals… If you have any love for them, then you should wish them good luck, dood."

Laharl regarded Big Sis. He had seen her wandering the castle many times, but this was the first time he had actually spoke to her.

"Hmph… You sound just like that Love Freak…" He muttered. He thought about what she said. "…It's what's best for their sake?" He asked at last.

Big Sis nodded. "That's right, dood."

Laharl thought about it some more, before nodding. "…I see. Then, I'll let them go."

"You understand, dood?" Big Sis pressed.

Laharl looked to the ground, uncomfortable. "…Well, yeah." He said, meeting her eyes.

Big Sis breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness… Then, I can leave without worry."

Big Sis walked past Death to join the other Prinnies. But before she could enter the pack, Flonne stepped forward.

"Wait!" She called out, "What sin… What sin did you commit?" It was pressing her. What sort of thing did this Prinny, who was nicer and more caring than all the rest, do to warrant such a terrible fate?

"…I took my own life," Big Sis said after a moment's hesitation. "Taking your own life is a grave sin…"

"Why would you…?" Flonne asked, not willing to let it go so easily. There had to be more. There must be!

"…To save my son's life."

Laharl's eyes widened. What did she say?

"Because of my death," Big Sis explained, "My son shut away his feelings… But, he's changing, ever so slowly." Big Sis cast her gaze across the trio, stopping on Laharl "It's all thanks to the wonderful people around him… My work here is done… The rest is up to my son."

Big Sis turned around to join the Prinnies. Laharl stepped forward, wanting to say something, but no words would leave his mouth.

As Death and the Prinnies walked away, Flonne cried, "You're just going to leave?! Not even a goodbye!?" Tears began to fall from her eyes. "…Despite how much you love him!?"

Big Sis paused in her step, shaken. "…What cruel words you speak." She said, not even turning around.

"Eh…?"

"Of course I would like to reveal myself," Big Sis said, her voice shaking. "Of course I would like to hug my son with my own hands. But, if we are destined to part again, then wouldn't it be better to watch from afar and leave without a single word? He has suffered enough already… My silence is how I show my love."

Flonne stared. And then, she understood.

"…I'm sorry," Flonne said, her eyes downcast. "I tried to push my idea of love onto you, without considering your reasons… Without considering your feelings… I'm sorry…"

Big Sis turned around to address Laharl

"Haha…" She chuckled, "Prince, you've met a wonderful person, dood." She then waved a flap goodbye. "Prince… Take care…" To the girls, she said, "Flonne, Etna, take care of him for me." She stepped backwards. "…Good bye."

For a brief moment, Laharl, Flonne, and Etna were not seeing a red Prinny. Instead, they saw a beautiful women, with short, golden brown hair, and eyes full of kindess.

Suddenly, Big Sis's form went limp, like a balloon running out of air. Out of her beak came a ball of light.

"Ah…!" Laharl rushed for the ball, but it floated out of his reach.

The other Prinnies followed suite, with Death rising after them.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"_The red moon reflected in Laharl's eyes, swaying sadly._

_A gentle, loving mother who gave up her life to save her son..._

_A son who could only accept his mother's death by denying love and kindness..._

_I can't imagine how painful, how difficult it was for him._

_I'm sure the red moon will wash away his sorrow." – Flonne_

Laharl stared up into the sky, his face emotionless.

"Love… huh…" He sighed.

Flonne looked towards him. "Huh…?"

Laharl closed his eyes. "…Nothing."

Laharl turned around, and began to march down the cliff. However, he paused on his third step and looked over his shoulder at Flonne.

"Let's return to the castle…Flone." He said.

Flonne's face brightened. He had said her name! "Laharl…"

"_When Laharl called me by my name for the very first time, I noticed... that the red moon no longer shone in his eyes. I'll always remember the sad tale of a mother and her son..." – Flonne_

Giggling, Flonne quickly rushed up to Laharl's side, taking his hand. Laharl gave her a look, but didn't do anything else. Giggling, Etna joined the two on Laharl's other side. The three of them walked away with their backs to the night sky, as the souls of atoned rose to the moon…

_Red moon, red moon..._

_Cleanses the sinful and makes them anew..._

_Shining brightly in the night sky,_

_waiting for the souls..._

_Who will be born again tonight?_

_Who will be born again tonight?_

Episode 8

Reincarnation

**End**

A/N: Wah… I actually started to cry writing this… Okay, I'm good, I'm good.

Lamington: I have a question.

A/N: Shoot.

Lamington: You gave Flonne the Staff of Sorcery, but she didn't do anything with it.

A/N: I have other plans for it. Trust me.

Lamington: …We have no other choice. But what happens now?

A/N: That's a question for… Etna!

Episode 9 preview

Etna: Warning! Warning! A hero emerges to save the earth from the vile clutches of King Laharl! His name is Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth!

Mid-Boss: Bonjour, I am your own personal Dark Adonis...

Etna: With his beautiful sidekick Jennifer and multi-purpose super robot Thursday, Captain Gordon takes the Netherworld by storm!!

Mid-Boss: Another fantasy of yours, Mademoiselle?

Etna: Who will win this cataclysmic battle, the evil king or the Defender of Earth?

Mid-Boss: Pardon moi, but no one is listening.

Etna: Next on _Mobile Girl Etna: Stardust Memoir_, Episode 9: _Invincible Captain Gordon_. Soldiers' tears illuminate the starry sky...

Mid-Boss: Everybody, just ignore her!


	9. Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth

After returning from Lunar Snowfield, Etna went to her secret place to jot down another entry in her journal, 'A Mother's Love'.

_All this time, that woman was among us as one of the Prinnies..._

_...She just watched over the Prince without saying a word..._

_How could she stand it...? I don't get it..._

_She was always like that... She always filled my heart with discord..._

_But, my hatred from back then is gone..._

_Has time erased it...? Or..._

Etna stopped writing and leaned back in her chair.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Space. The Final Frontier.

Mankind has forever looked to the heavens above at nights and wondered about it since ancient times. Now, the rise in human technology allowed mankind to do more than just wonder. And now, it was time to take a closer look into the eternal mystery.

A yellow spaceship the size of a truck floated precariously over the Earth, tucked firmly away in the exosphere. It was the pinnacle of space exploration, equipped with everything needed to provide its passengers to ensure a safe and successful voyage.

It also had cup holders.

Inside the cockpit, overlooking the Earth, a handsome man in a blue and yellow spacesuit and jetpack sat in a chair before the controls, sipping from a tea cup.

"Mm-mm," He sighed, "Nothing beats having tea in outer space," Gazing out the cockpit windshield at the Earth, he said, "How beautiful the Earth is… It reflects the nobility of my mission. Jennifer, how much longer before we go into hyperdrive?"

"Let me see, Gordon… About 5 minutes." Answered Jennifer, sitting in the chair adjacent to Gordon. She was a curvaceous and beautiful woman, with long blond hair reaching down past her shoulders. Unlike Gordon, she was dressed scantily, in only a string bikini top and a mini-skirt to end all mini-skirts. She also wore a pair of blue gloves and white boots.

"I see," Gordon said, rubbing his chin with his other hand. "Only 5 minutes until we say goodbye to the Earth…"

"Are you scared, Gordon?" Jennifer asked.

"Hey, hey. You're joking, right?" Gordon chuckled, looking at Jennifer. "Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth, is afraid of nothing. You of all people should know that. You've been along on all my adventures."

Jennifer couldn't help but chuckle at Gordon's confidence. "Right."

Suddenly, a series of electronic beeping alerted Gordon and Jennifer to a barrel-shaped robot behind them.

"Oh, sorry about that," Gordon apologized, waving to the robot. "Of course I didn't forget you, Thursday."

GORDON KEEPS STARING AT JENNIFER'S THIGHS, Thursday announced, PERVERT PERVERT PERVERT…

Gordon shot a glare at Thursday. "Hey! Why you!"

Before Gordon could do something about Thursday, there came a series of lighter beeps from the control panel.

"Tea time's over, Gordon," Jennifer announced, "We have an incoming transmission…Looks like it's from the Earth Defense Force headquarters. I'm turning on the holograph projector."

Jennifer pushed a button on the control panel, and a hologram of a middle-aged, stocky bald man with a toothbrush mustache in a military uniform appeared before the crew.

"Hi! You look good, General Carter!" Gordon greeted, "So, what can I do for you, Commander-in-Chief?"

"You're moments away from entering hyperdrive," Carter said without preamble, "This will be your last contact with Earth. Do you have any messages, Gordon?"

"Let me think…" Gordon grinned, "Tell everyone on Earth to have a grand parade ready for my return. Oh, yeah! Don't forget the hot babes and Pizza Shack's Teriyaki Pizza."

Carter gave Gordon a peculiar look before answering. "…We'll see what we can do. I'm sure you don't need me to repeat this, but the Earth's fate is in your hands. We're counting on you."

"It's nothing I can't handle." Gordon assured, saluting.

"How true," Carter nodded returning the salute. "I pray for your success, Gordon."

The hologram fizzled out.

"Gordon, we're about to go into hyperdrive." Jennifer said.

Gordon grinned. "Okay, Jennifer."

HYPERDRIVE ENGINE NUMBER 3 READY, Thursday announced, ALL SYSTEMS GO.

The cockpit began to shake somewhat as the ship began to increase speed.

NOW ENTERING HYPERDRIVE.

As the ship moved further and further away from Earth, the stars began to resemble white streaks.

"Engage!" Gordon ordered.

"Engage!" Jennifer repeated, pushing a big red button on the console.

"Hahahahahaha!"

And in a flash, the ship was gone…

Episode 9

Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth

"Dood… Prince, there's some kind of anomaly in the Stellar Graveyard."

Laharl sat on his throne, looking down at the Prinny who had brought this fact to his attention.

"Invaders from another world?" He guessed, rubbing his chin.

The Prinny shrugged. "I have no idea, dood." After all, it really wasn't his problem. HE wasn't the Overlord.

"Invaders…?" Flonne, standing off to the side wondered. A thought came to her. "Are they angels who are here to take me back?" She had been in the Netherworld for quite some time, and SOMEONE must have noticed she was gone…

Etna, leaning against the wall behind Flonne shrugged. "I doubt it. That place attracts a lot of weird things besides stars," She said, "Flying saucers, probes, brain suckers, midgets with glowing fingertips…"

"Oh my…" She breathed, when another thought struck her. "That means there may be people who are hurt," She looked up at the Prince, a determined look in her eye. "Let's go, Laharl."

Laharl, however, just turned his head away. "Forget it. It's probably just a piece of trash."

"Laharl!"

Laharl winced, before sliding off the throne. "Geez… Shouldn't an Overlord be doing something more important than this?"

Manty glanced up from the Prism Red chew toy he was gnawing on. "The Stellar Graveyard is a magnet for space debris of all kinds," He commented. "Don't eat anything you find there."

"Like I would!!" Laharl snapped, sending a poisonous glare at the Manticore.

"It's funny that you're going to the Stellar Graveyard…" Goleck noted, trying to put together a Pringer X model.

"What do you mean?" Flonne asked.

"Well, according to human belief," Goleck said, "The Netherworld and Celestia exist somewhere in space."

This was an interesting concept. "Then, do humans consider us aliens?" She asked, an image of Laharl, Etna, and her wearing spacesuits coming to mind.

"Most likely!" Goleck grinned, and went back to work on his model.

In the portal room, Fiona was already preparing the portal for use.

"I've waiting for you, Prince," She said, bowing to the trio as they walked up to her. "You are headed to the 'Stellar Graveyard', correct?" She turned away to complete her work on the portal. "People have been saying that I am spoiling you, but I don't want you to get lost. I will see to it that you get there safe."

"Listen, I'm not a child," Laharl grumbled, a tint of red appearing on his cheeks. Behind him, Flonne giggled while Etna grinned. "…Geez."

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"Gordon! Gordon! Where are you!?"

The Earth Defense Force-built spaceship and its crew had arrived at the Netherworld so quickly and suddenly that none of the locals had time to realize that they had visitors until after the fact. Unfortunately, the EDF had neglected to take into account the distance between hyperdrive-created portal in space and the terra firma of the Netherworld- the lack of, that is.

The result was that the ship hit the Netherworld like a skimmed-stone on water, causing bits and pieces of it to go flying as the voyage of Captain Gordon's crew came to a violent end.

By some twist of luck, the crew had survived- two of them. Gordon had been the first to go when things began to get knocked off the ship.

"This isn't good," Jennifer murmured, looking around. "Where could he be?"

Jennifer stared out at the landscape before her. The Netherworld around resembled the setting for a science-fiction movie, with a clear night sky over them, and craters and strange glowing pits around them.

Behind her, Thursday examined the remains of the ship.

SPACESHIP CRASHED. The robot announced, turning back to Jennifer. GORDON FAILED TO ESCAPE. PROBABLY SMASHED TO ATOMS. Thursday began to play a recording of 'Taps' and extended one of his two three-pronged claws in a salute. REST IN PEACE…

Jennifer, however, was more optimistic. "Don't worry, Thursday," She told him, "He is Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth."

Thursday ceased playing taps and retracted his claw.

UNDERSTOOD. He beeped, ACTIVATING LIFE SCANNER.

"Thank you, Thursday." Jennifer winked.

ALWAYS LISTEN TO A HOT BABE. THAT'S THE LAW. BEEP BLIP BEEP…

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"So this is the Stellar Graveyard…" Flonne commented as the trio came out of the portal. As she gazed up into the sky, she said, "How beautiful… It looks like the stars are crying…"

"Flonne, you're so romantic," Etna giggled, putting her arms around Flonne. "I just wanna choke you to death!"

"E-etna…! You ARE choking me…!" Flonne gasped as she felt her windpipes being constricted. "I-I-I can't breath…"

"Hey, enough of that." Laharl ordered.

"Yeah, yeah," Etna sighed, letting go of Flonne. The angel collapsed. "…Saved by the bell, Flonne."

Flonne gasped, trying to breath in as much sweet air as she could. "I hope she was joking…" She wheezed, "I almost became one with the stars."

After Flonne had reclaimed her lost oxygen, the trio began their march for the source of the anomaly.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Jennifer and Thursday continued to search for Gordon, now checking an area called the Thurvean Sector.

"Sense any signs of life, Thursday?" Jennifer asked the robot.

UNFORTUNATELY, NO TRACE OF GORDON'S BIOLOGICAL SIGNITURE. Thursday replied.

"I see…" Jennifer sighed. "We have to find him. I heard at headquarters that the Netherworld is full of nasty, vicious creatures. If we're discovered…" Jennifer began to hug herself and squirm. "Ahh! I'll be molested by countless slimy tentacles and my bodily fluids will be sucked dry! Or, we could swallowed whole and suffer a slow and painful death as we're digested alive!! Or even worse…"

JENNIFER, PLEASE KEEP YOUR IMAGINATION UNDER CONTROL. Thursday beeped.

As Jennifer slowed her heart rate to a normal level, Thursday radar picked up on something.

LIFE SIGNS DETECTED… He beeped, READINGS DO NOT CORRESPOND WITH CAPTAIN GORDON'S BIOLOGICAL SIGNITURE. LIFE FORMS ARE APPROACHING. Thursday then realized what kind of life forms they were. OH $*&% RUN RUN RUN…!

Jennifer quickly grabbed the panicking robot and pulled him behind a rock.

"Shh! Thursday, be quiet." She ordered softly. Peeking out, she saw three small people enter the scene.

"That's odd…" Laharl muttered, leaning back against a large rock. "I thought I heard a voice of a woman…"

"What?" Jennifer gasped, "Human children in the Netherworld?"

Laharl quickly whirled around and saw Jennifer. "A human!?" Laharl blanched when Jennifer and Thursday stepped out from behind the rock. "And on top of that, she's…!!"

"I got it!" Jennifer cried, slapping her fist into her palm. "You were kidnapped by the Overlord, weren't you!?" She once again began to squirm. "Oh, the humanity! I heard that demons are merciless, even towards children!" She grabbed Laharl and swept him up in a bear hug. "Aww, you poor things…! They didn't bite your arm off, did they!? They didn't suck your brains out, did they!? They didn't anal probe you, did they!?"

Etna wasn't sure if she should be concerned for the woman's mental health, or outraged at her perception of demons. "What the hell does she think demons are!?"

Jennifer wasn't listening. "But, don't worry," She said to what little of Laharl wasn't being lost in her hourglass figure, "Big sis will make it all better."

It was at this point that Laharl had enough. He quickly pushed himself out of Jennifer's loving embrace.

"N-no!" He cried, "Get away from me!"

Jennifer blinked. "What?"

"Keep you sexy body away from me!" Laharl ordered, backing away from the gorgeous woman.

Jennifer stared at Laharl when the answer hit her.

"Oh, I understand!" She said, snapping her fingers. "You're going through puberty, aren't you?"

Okay, maybe not THE answer…

"Don't be embarrassed, cute little boy," Jennifer continued serenely, "Everyone goes through that period. Okay, I'll teach you everything there is to know. You see, as young girls mature, their breasts grow bigger, and boys…"

Etna stared, more bewildered than before. "…Great, now she's teaching sex ed. Who the hell is this lady?"

Flonne decided now would be a good time to intervene.

"Umm… I'm sorry to interrupt you," The angel said, "But we're not human children."

Jennifer stopped her impromptu lesson and looked at Flonne. "Huh?" She blinked. "…What do you mean?"

"I am Flonne, an angel in training…" Flonne introduced. She gestured to Etna. "…This is Etna, a demon. And the one you called 'cute little boy' is the Overlord, Laharl."

Laharl closed his eyes and crossed his arms, both looking cool and blocking his sight of Jennifer's body.

Jennifer stared at the trio. Something inside of her mind went 'ping'.

"This is outrageous!" She cried, "I can't believe such a cute little boy could be the Overlord! This is completely different from the information provided by headquarters!" She looked to the robot. "What's going on, Thursday!?"

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP… NOW CALCUATING, NOW CALCUATING… Thursday beeped, NOW CALCUATING, NOW CALCUATING… CALCUATION COMPLETE.

"What's the answer?" Jennifer asked.

"HEADQUARTERS IS A BUNCH OF LIARS."

Jennifer gasped. "Oh no! Does that mean that the Overlord is planning to invade Earth is a lie, too!? We came here to slay the Overlord, for heaven's sake! There must be some misunderstanding!"

"Wait," Laharl held up his hand trying to get some foothold on the conversation. "Did I hear you say… You came here to slay the Overlord?"

Jennifer realized that mentioning that around the intended Overlord was probably a mistake.

"N-no no… Not me," She backpedaled, "That's the responsibility of our hero, Captain Gordon, defender of Earth. I'm his assistant, Jennifer. And this is Thursday, the multi-purpose super robot."

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP… Thursay greeted, NICE TO MEET YOU.

Laharl stared at the Earthlings for a second.

"Hero, you say?" He asked, intrigued.

"Yes, Captain Gordon is the Earth's hero," Jennifer said proudly, "His noble mission is to vanquish any evil that threatens the Earth. But, we were separated from him when our spaceship crashed."

Laharl thought about this.

"Hmhmhm…" He chuckled, "Very interesting! I must definitely meet this Captain Gordon!"

"Why is that?" Flonne asked. It didn't seem like Laharl to want to search for strangers without being offered a reward first.

"It is an Overlord's duty to challenge heroes!" Laharl laughed. He seemed to be glowing with excitement.

"Wow… Cool!" Flonne squealed, her eyes burning.

"Woman, follow me!" Laharl declared, waving to Jennifer. "I shall find your hero!!

"Really?!" Jennifer clapped her hands together and stepped up to Laharl.

"But, I don't want that sexy body of yours within a 3-foot radius of me!" Laharl yelled, pushing Jennifer away.

"As you wish!" Jennifer winked. To Thursday and the girls, she said, "Okay. Let's go look for Gordon!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In Sphere VIII, a large crater in the Stellar Graveyard, a Zombie was talking to a Zombie that was so heavily wrapped in bandages that it looked like a mummy.

"Are you sure it's safe for you to be outside?" The healthier Zombie asked the mummy-Zombie, "I mean, after that alternate Netherworld demon stepped on you…"

"Oh yeah," The mummy-Zombie replied, "My doctor said that as long as I avoid any strenuous activities, I can go wherever I want."

It was at that moment that Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth, fell from the sky and landed on the mummy-Zombie, causing the healthy Zombie to dive behind a rock.

"Ow ow ow ow ouch!" Gordon grunted, wincing, "What a landing! I guess Lady Luck's taking a vacation."

Getting up(And not bothering to step off the Zombie he had landed on) Gordon began to stretch, trying to work out the kinks in his joints. His eyes widened.

"…That's right!" He cried, looking around. "Jennifer! Thursday!"

But there was no one to be found. He didn't even see the Zombie hiding behind the rock.

"Hmm… It appears that we've been separated," Gordon mused, when a terrifying thought struck him. "They haven't been captured by the Overlord, have they?!"

Images of Jennifer and Thursday being chained to the walls of some sewer-like dungeon with the shadow of a monstrous and horrific figure standing over them came to his mind.

"Even with Thursday 200,000 horsepower engine, he can't take on the Overlord alone!" Gordon cried, now imaging a the robot being impaled by some crooked blade. "I can't just sit here!"

Gordon jumped off the mummy-Zombie and ran off into the night.

"Jennifer, hang in there!" He yelled.

Gordon was soon out of sight. The healthy-Zombie cautiously left his hiding place and approached the squashed mummy-Zombie, checking the sky to avoid other humans that might fall from it.

"Is being a landing pad strenuous?" the healthy-Zombie asked the squashed-mummy.

"It is now!" The squashed-mummy sobbed.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Meanwhile, Laharl and company were now at the Cross-Point, the very center of Stellar Graveyard. From there, the party could systematically search every area of the Graveyard for Gordon.

As they walked, Jennifer kept her eye on Laharl, who was, as instructed, 3 feet away from her.

"…Hey, Harlie." She called to Laharl.

"I am Laharl, not Harlie." Laharl shot over his shoulders.

Ignoring that, Jennifer pressed on.

"You really don't have plans to invade the Earth?" She asked.

"Earth is that rotten planet where humans foolishly pollute their own environment, correct?" Laharl asked, his eyes forward. "Why would I be interested in that?"

Jennifer couldn't help but frown sadly at what Laharl said. "…You may be right, but the Earth is still our home," She said, "That's why Gordon risk our lives to protect it. I always believed that was the right thing to do…I don't know what to believe in now. It doesn't seem like you're lying, Harlie. But, I don't want to think that my fellow earthlings are lying to me, either."

Laharl paused in mid-step, and looked over his shoulder to glare at Jennifer.

"What makes you think I'm not lying?" He asked, "I AM a demon."

"I can tell by looking into your eyes," Jennifer said, smiling, "I believe you because you're eyes are pure." She chuckled. "I don't know if it's pure good or pure evil, though."

Laharl glared at Jennifer for a second longer before resuming his march.

"Hmph!" He grunted, "Nonsense!"

("That man's eyes… Are they pure right now…?") Jennifer wondered as they continued on. "Well, either way, we have to find Gordon and uncover the truth, or else… Something terrible might happen."

"I agree," Flonne piped up, "At this rate, a war might erupt between the Netherworld and the human world. We must prevent that."

"Huhhhhh? Why?" Etna drawled childishly, "It'd be fun!"

"Etna!" Flonne cried, giving the demon girl a look.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry," Etna sighed, rolling her eyes. "What's with you serious types…"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Following the directions of two Zombies, one of which looked severely flat, the party headed out to the Primordial Soup, a pond in the Stellar Graveyard. It got its name from the strange bits and pieces of demons that drowned in it throughout the ages, making it look like a stockpot for evolution. Around it were tall rock formations.

As they approached the pond, Thursday began to beep wildly.

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP…LIFE SIGNS DETECTED, he announced, ANALYSING… IT IS CAPTAIN GORDON.

"Gordon's nearby!?" Jennifer cried, and began to look around wildly. "Gordon! Gordon! Where are you!?"

There was silence, and then a voice rang out into the air.

"Hahahahaha!! A familiar voice! Is that you, Jennifer!? You must have been through hell. But, have no fear, Captain Gordon is here!"

Out from nowhere, a lone figure leapt on top of the rock formation nearest to the party. There, in all his glory, with a smile so bright it lit up the dark night, was Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth!

Laharl was not impressed.

"…THAT's the hero?" He groaned.

Flonne, however, had a different opinion.

"He's so cool!" She cooed, her eyes a-flame.

Etna gave Flonne a weird look.

"…Flonne," She said at last, "You've got a wide strike zone."

Gordon hopped off the formation and landed before the party. Jennifer pushed past the trio to get to him.

"Gordon!" She cried.

"Are you alright, Jennifer?" Gordon asked. Looking past his assistant, he then fully noticed the presence of the trio. "Hmm? Who are these children!?"

Laharl had enough. Stepping forward he proclaimed, "How dare you call me a child! I am the Overlord!" He was not going to be called a child by this buffoon!

Gordon stared at the demon boy for a second before grinning. "You? The Overlord? Hahahahaha!!" He laughed, "Quite joking around," He said seriously, "You haven't even gone through puberty…"

Laharl didn't give Gordon the chance to finish. He shot a bolt of purple energy at Gordon, who dodged it at the last minute, just barely avoiding the blast.

"Hey! No fair!" Gordon cried, "A cowardly trick, Overlord!" Suddenly, the idea of that kid ruling the Netherworld wasn't so silly.

"It's about time you came to your senses." Laharl commented.

Undettered, Gordon pointed at Laharl and said, "I, Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth, shall put an end to your evil ambition of invading Earth!!"

Flonne stepped forward. The situation was getting out of hand, and all this machismo wasn't helping.

"P-please wait…" She began plaintively.

"Shut up, villainess!!" Gordon ordered.

Flonne's face dropped- and her eyes narrowed. "Villainess!?" She repeated angrily. Looking at Laharl, she said, "Laharl! This rude stranger isn't a hero, or defender of anything!" She whipped out her bow and pointed it at Gordon. "Let's kick his sorry butt!"

Off to the side, Etna shook her head.

"…That didn't take long." She remarked.

"We're in agreement this time, Flonne," Laharl said, ignoring Etna. To Gordon he said, "Listen, Defender of Earth! If you can defeat me, I promise not to invade your planet,"(Laharl never admitted to or denied that he was planning to, Etna noticed) "But if I win, then you agree to stay here in the Netherworld and become my vassal," Laharl gave Gordon a condescending smile. "How about it?"

Gordon, annoyed by Laharl's cocky attitude, frowned at the young Overlord.

"Tch! Fine! A hero never backs down from a fight." He nodded.

Jennifer stepped forward. This was getting out of hand.

"Gordon, listen…" She began. Laharl wasn't going to invade the Earth, so there was no reason for any fighting. Before she could say that, Gordon gave her a smile and thumbs up.

"No need to worry, Jennifer. I eat guys like him for breakfast!" He said, "Thursday and I can handle this ourselves! All you have to do is believe in Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth, like always!!"

Laharl, amused by this display of bravado, laughed. "Haaahahahaha!! It's a deal then! Here I come!"

Laharl pulled out his sword and pulled it back, preparing to swing. Gordon, however, wasn't put off by this. If anything, he was positively glowing with anticipation.

"Come on, Overlord! I'll protect the Earth at any cost!" Gordon challenged, taking a boxing stance, "Thursday!! Back me up!"

Thursday, having remained inert since Gordon's arrival, suddenly sprang to life.

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP… The robot beeped, MISSION ACKNOWLEDGED.

Propelled by built-in rocket boosters, Thursday flew over the party and landed at Gordon's side.

"Keep an eye on the others, Thursday!" Gordon ordered, and launched himself at Laharl. "Take this, Overlord! Gordon Spark!"

Gordon gave Laharl a kick in the jaw, sending the demon boy straight up in the air. Then, before gravity could prove what a harsh mistress it was, Gordon jumped up and grabbed Laharl.

"Gordon Finish!"

Gordon pulled Laharl back down in a spinning pile-driver.

CRASH!

"Not bad." Etna commented, watching the fight while relaxing on a rock.

("Gordon's using one of his special moves already?") Jennifer thought worriedly, ("He must be serious about this…")

"Had enough, Overlord?!" Gordon asked, stepping away from where Laharl had gotten his head stuck into the ground.

For a moment, Laharl didn't move. Then, he easily pulled his head out of the ground. Turning around to face Gordon, he said, "That's alright… But you'll have to do better… Like this!"

Laharl lunged at Gordon, swinging his sword. Gordon, surprised by this sudden offensive, found himself being forced back as he tried to avoid being cut.

"So, using weapons in a duel, eh, Overlord?" Gordon gritted, and pulled out a gun. Etna noted that it was a make similar to her Ion 9K Samurai. "Then, so will I!"

Gordon fired several rounds, missing Laharl as the Overlord pulled his head back just in time.

"Burning Knuckle!" Laharl swung a fiery fist down at Gordon, just barely missing him. The resulting explosion, however, knocked him back a few paces.

"Thursday!" He commanded, "Lock-on to target and prepare for my signal!"

AFFIRMITIVE. Thursday beeped. Extending his claws into the ground, Thursday positioned himself so that his robotic legs were pointing at Laharl. Then, the legs retracted into his torso, replaced by a cannon barrel.

ROBO-BAZOOKA READY, CAPTAIN. Thursday announced.

"Cool!" Flonne squealed, forgetting herself.

"Her mind's like a tennis game," Etna sighed, "Bouncing from one side to the other and back again."

"She's right to be impressed," Jennifer said to Etna, having taken a seat next to the demon girl. "The Robo-Bazooka is the strongest weapon in Thursday's artillery!"

Meanwhile, Gordon decided to try his luck at close combat with Laharl again. Running toward the demon boy, Gordon pulled back his fist, tightening those muscles.

"Gordon Punch!"

The punch connected, sending Laharl back a step.

"Thursday, now!" Gordon ordered.

ROGER. Thursday replied, and fired.

BOOM!

As smoke wafted from the shot had hit Laharl, Gordon put his hand over his heart.

"It's not a pretty end for anyone," The hero sighed, "But that is the fate for those who would devote their hearts to evil! At the very least, I applaud your courage to face this fate head-on, Overlord."

"Don't you ever stop talking?"

Gordon, Jennifer, and Flonne gasped. There, standing exactly where the cannon fired at, was Laharl, with only a few scorch marks on his body.

"WHAT'S the fate of those who devote to evil?" Laharl asked mockingly, "I wasn't paying attention the first time."

"To survive being hit by Thursday's Robo-Bazooka…" Gordon commented, amazed. "How much power are these demons packing in their small, flat bodies?"

THAT was the wrong thing to say. Her eyes burning with all-too-familiar rage, Flonne grabbed the nearest boulder, the size of soccer ball.

"WELL, EXCUSE ME FOR BEING FLAT!!" She screamed, and heaved the rock at Gordon, where it hit him in the head.

That was all Laharl needed. Charging towards the now-dizzy-from-a-concussion Gordon, Laharl lit his fist a-flame.

"Burning Knuckle!" He yelled, and punched Gordon into the chest, sending the hero flying into the pond.

"Gordon!" Jennifer cried, running to his aid. Thursday followed close behind.

"Haaaahahahaha!!" Laharl laughed victoriously, "How do you like that, hero!? Taste the power of the Overlord!!" He smirked at the soaked Defender of Earth as he was pulled out of the water. "You've learned an important lesson today… Heroes don't always win!! Haaaahahahaha!!"

"Oh no…" Flonne gasped, now calm. "What have I done? I've injured a human…" She began to tremble. "I…inadvertently…"

"Inadvertently my butt…" Etna muttered, enjoying herself. This was one for the scrap book for sure. "Flonne, lately you've been acting more and more like us demons, huh?"

"N-no, I haven't…" Flonne protested weakly. A thought then struck her fearful soul. "But if the Seraph finds out…"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In Celestia, Seraph Lamington was busy tending to his plants in the greenhouse when Vulcanus came thundering in.

"Seraph! Seraph Lamington, are you here!?" Vulcanus called out, "This is a serious matter!!"

"It's always a serious matter when you come here," Lamington sighed. Turning around to face the irate angel, he asked, "What is it this time?"

"Flonne has killed a human in the Netherworld!!" Vulcanus yelled, a vein threatening to pop on his forehead.

"What?" Lamington asked, raising an eyebrow. "Flonne killed a human?"

"That's right!" Vulcanus said, "Even if she is a trainee, an angel harming a human is a grave sin!! Is this forgivable!? No, such a sin cannot be forgiven!!"

Lamington remained silent throughout the whole of Vulcanus' tirade. When the stern angel was finished, the Seraph said, "…But still, that is odd. Why would a human be in the Netherworld?"

Vulcanus' mind seemed to stall out on that one.

"W-well…" He stumbled, trying to find an answer. He had non. In the end, he said, "At any rate, I will make sure that Flonne is captured!! I will be using some of the troops. I have your permission, correct?"

Lamington stared at Vulcanus before saying, "…Very well. I shall leave it to you, Vulcanus."

"Yes, sir!" Vulcanus said, brimming with pride and anticipation.

As Vulcanus left the greenhouse, Lamington turned to the special plant he made by placing a rose and a daffodil in the same pot. There were now some bees crawling on it.

"…Hmmm, I never expected humans to interfere," Lamington murmured to himself. "Now then… How will he respond to this…?"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Back in the Netherworld, Flonne decided to fall back on a tried and true tactic of the desperate, unfettered optimism.

"Everything will be fine!" She insisted, "The Seraph will understand that it was just a mistake!" She noticed Etna's eyes on her, skeptical. "…He surely will!"

"You better hope so…" Etna said.

Episode 9

Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth

**End**

A/n: At long last, Captain Gordon nad crew have arrived! Gordon is one of my favorite characters in Disgaea, but that's because I love the pure-hearted but goofy heroic blowhards he represents. He reminds me of Earthworm Jim.

Lamington: …That Zombie he fell on… was that the one stepped on by the Alt. Overlord?

A/n: Yeah, I threw that in there as a continuity joke.

Lamington: I see… very clever. Nice symbolism with the double-flower.

A/n: Thank you! It's hard to put symbolism in a work of writing, but no one's complained yet, so I must be doing something right!

Lamington: …Maybe.

A/n: Anyway, what's next for us, Etna!?

-Episode 10 preview-

Etna: Now that we have the Defender of Earth on our side, our space adven...

Gordon: Hi, everyone! This is your hero, Captain Gordon!

Etna: It won't be easy for Gord...

Gordon: As all of you know, I am the 37th Defender of Earth! As the name suggests, it is my duty to defend the Earth!

Etna: What lies ahead of...

Gordon: No matter what lies ahead, I swear on my honor...and the name "Defender of Earth", that evil-doers shall not escape! That is my mission!

Etna: Next...

Gordon: Next on _Captain Gordon: Defender of Earth_, Episode 10: _Angels, _

_Demons, and Humans! _Look forward to my adventures! Hahahahahaha!!

Etna: "Hahaha" my ass!

SFX: BANG! CRASH! WHAM!


	10. Angels, Demons, and Humans

The day following Gordon's loss to Laharl and subsequent enslavement, things were quiet in the castle.

"Gordon! Wash my shorts!"

Okay, maybe not that quiet.

Like a child with a brand new toy, Laharl kept Gordon hopping with a series of random commands, for no other purpose other than to keep the hero moving.

"Gordon! After that, clean my room!"

Gordon was not having a good time. After finishing one task, he barely had time to rest before Laharl cooked up another. And it didn't help that he was forced to wear an apron the whole time, either. He was just glad no one got him a full maid costume…

"Gordon! After that, make dinner!"

Huffing, Gordon rushed around the castle, desperately trying to keep up with Laharl's constant demands. If his hero training didn't involve endurance training, he would have fainted from exhaustion by now.

("What humiliation!") Gordon thought, leaning on a mop for support. ("The Defender of Earth working for the Overlord! I can't apologize enough to my predecessors!")

Laharl, leaning against a column, leered at Gordod. "Hmmmm? You look unhappy," He remarked teasingly, "Don't tell me that a hero would break his promise, now."

Gordon groaned. ("A hero never breaks a promise!") He thought bitterly. ("All I can do right now is endure this! As long as my faith does not falter, hopes remains!") In that thought an idea came to Gordon. ("I've got it! I'll just pretend to obey him! And when he lets his guard down, I'll escape back to Earth!") Gordon smacked his fist into his palm, grinning. ("All right! I just need to have patience! Good thinking, Gordon!")

Laharl wasn't an expert on body language, but he managed to pick something up from Gordon's actions.

"You're eyes are full of hope…" The Overlord said, "You're planning something, aren't you?"

Gordon froze. Had he given himself away? "N-no I'm not!" He protested, "I was just…"

Gordon was saved by the appearance of his beautiful assistant, Jennifer.

"Morning, Harlie." She sang, walking into the throne room.

"I told you not to call me that!" Laharl snapped, glaring at Jennifer. He quickly looked away from her body afterwards.

"Why not? It's cuter that way," Jennifer said before getting down to business. "Etna and Flonne are going to show around the Netherworld, and we're gonna have a picnic." She explained. An idea came to her. "Why don't you come along, Harlie? We made a great lunch!"

Gordon perked up. "Picnic?" Gordon turned to address Jennifer and asked, "I, the Defender of Earth am working, and you, my assistant, are picnicking?"

Jennifer pouted cutely. "But Gordon, today's Sunday. It's a day off for everybody."

"Well, that's true, but…" Gordon heard the familiar sound of Thursday trundling in and turned to the robot. "Thursday, you'll stay here and work with me, right?"

Thursday, wearing a straw hat and holding a balloon from the Netherworld's fair, trundled up to Jennifer's side.

ROBOTS REQUIRE REST, TOO, He said, THURSDAY WILL ATTEND PICNIC WITH JENNIFER. LALALA.

"Hey! You traitor!" Gordon growled, pointing an accusatory finger at the robot.

"There you have it, Gordon," Jennifer said, clapping her hands. "We'll leave the chores to you."

As Gordon curled up in a little ball by the corner, Etna and Flonne came in, carrying a picnic basket.

"…So, where should we go?" Etna asked.

"It's her first time in the Netherworld, so how about the Sea of Gehenna?" Flonne suggested.

"Why?! It's so hot over there." Etna complained.

"What kind of place is it?" Jennifer asked, intrigued.

"It's a big tourist spot," Flonne explained, "Since your new to the Netherworld, you have to go check it out!"

Jennifer thought about it. "Is there a souvenir shop around?"

Flonne began to sweat. "Um, it's not exactly the kind of place that sells souvenirs…"

"If its souvenirs you're looking for," Etna cut in, "Try Sphinx's on Sacrifice Street. They've got nice mummy heads," Etna pulled out a bandaged sphere with a headdress the size of a cueball from her pocket and displayed it to the other girls. "See?"

"Oh! How adorable!" Jennifer cooed.

"Hey! That's the Nether Year 666 Limited Edition model!" Flonne cried, "I want one!"

Etna pocketed her mummy head and grinned. "Heheh, too bad."

"Okay," Jennifer decided, "Today it's a picnic at the Sea of Gehenna, and tomorrow it's shopping on Sacrifice Street."

"Sounds like a plan!" Etna said.

"I'm in!" Flonne cheered.

Off to the side, Laharl stared at the three ladies.

"…Now I just plain pity you, Gordon," Laharl said, before yelling, "Alright, we're going to the Sea of Gehenna! I will never, ever allow those women to go picnicking on their own!"

"That's a great idea! We should do it!" Gordon cheered, leaping up and away from his corner. "It's not like we'd be going on a picnic, going lalala. Someone has to protect them!"

Laharl nodded, and pointed to the door. "Right, let's go!"

As the gang, consisting of Laharl, Etna, Flonne, Jennifer, Thursday, and Gordon left for the portal room, Gordon snickered.

("Here's my chance!") He thought, ("I'll sneak off and escape during the picnic!")

Episode 10

Angels, Demons, and Humans

As the gang walked down the halls to the portal room, they passed by Manty. The Mantacore was sleeping in a corner, but he opened an eye to observe the Earthlings. In turn, the Earthlings stopped to look at the sleeping demon.

"Hmm… So these are the Defenders of Earth…" Manty murmured.

Gordon and Jennifer's eyes popped and their jaws dropped.

"Oh my god!" Jennifer gasped, "Gordon, the lion is speaking!"

"C-calm down, Jennifer!" Gordon yelled, putting himself between the beauty and the bemused beast, "This is the Netherworld! Lions can talk here!"

Manty went back to sleep as the Defenders of Earth walked hurriedly away. Humans were FUN…!

As the group got closer to the portal chamber, they came across Goleck, who was now putting the finishing touches on his Prism Rangers Justice Emperor Robot model. Luckily, seeing a demon that didn't resemble an Earth animal allowed for a less excitable introduction between the Golem and the humans.

"Humans can only live for about a 100 years?" Goleck asked, "What a brief existence."

"It's not the length of your life," Gordon proclaimed grandly, "It's the density of it!"

"Yeah, but you're dense in a different way." Etna commented.

Everyone had a brief laugh, except for Gordon who slumped. Dratti chose that moment to pass by.

"Humans must be tougher than I thought, if one can survive against you." She said to Laharl. The oft-repeated story of Laharl's duel with Gordon had circulated the castle, to the point that one wondered if Laharl had ordered the story be made the castle's main gossip.

"It's not fun picking on the weak. I let him off easy this time, that's all," Laharl insisted, "Don't get the wrong idea."

After leaving the Dratti and Goleck, the gang soon made it to the portal room. As they entered, they saw Zommie, who remarked, "An angel assassin…" He nodded at Flonne, "An attack by humans…" He nodded at the Defenders, "A lot has been happening lately…"

Laharl chuckled darkly. "All thanks to my evil deeds. Hmhmhm…"

Everyone rolled their eyes, even Thursday, who didn't have actual eyes.

The group made their way to the portal, where Laharl told Fiona where to send them.

"Picnic at the 'Sea of Gehenna', Prince?" She chuckled, "You are still quite childish."

"N-no I'm not!" Laharl protested, "I'm going to investigate the area…"

He was interrupted by Gordon, who was absentmindedly humming, "Picnic, picnic, la la, la la, laaaa!"

The two demons glanced at Gordon.

"So…" Fiona said slowly, "You ARE going on a picnic."

As Laharl cast Gordon an irritated look, Fiona began to chant to the portal. After the portal shimmered, she bid for the gang to enter it.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

On Earth, at the Earth Defense Force headquarters, in the centermost office on the highest level, was General Carter, leader of the EDF. Carter sat behind his desk in an office chair, eying a hologram projector stationed on that desk. All around him were monitors, showing the status' of numerous projects.

The clock ticked.

Carter drummed his fingers.

The light shined off his bald head, blinding a passing bird, causing it to nosedive.

"…It's past the scheduled time, and still no word from Gordon," Carter said, "Apparently, even the Defender of Earth was no match for the Overlord…"

"He's not the real Defender of Earth." A voice said.

Carter turned to see a sharp-eyed man, with green hair and pointed nose, enter the office.

"If you had just left it to me," The sharp-eyed man continued, "I would have been done ages ago."

"Are you still carrying on about that?" Carter asked, "You need to be more insightful, Kurtis. It doesn't really matter to me whether he wins or loses. His mission ended as soon as he opened a route to the Netherworld. Slaying the Overlord was just a pretext."

Kurtis sniffed indifferently. "Hmph. They're nothing but pawns to you, huh…"

"What an ugly way of saying it, Kurtis," Carter said, waving a dismissive hand. "I prefer to call them the 'heroes who sacrificed their lives for the Earth'."

As Carter laughed, Kurtis left the office. Walking down hall, he thought, ("Hmph… Gordon wouldn't die so easily. Only I, Kurtis, can defeat him! I bet he beat the Overlord already and is enjoying a picnic right now, going lalala.")

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"Lalala!" Gordon sang, marching proudly in front of the group. They had arrived at the Sea of Gehenna, and were now looking for an appropriate place to have their picnic.

The Sea of Gehenna was not an actual sea, but a series of interconnected rivers and waterfalls at the very edge of the Netherworld's volcanic region.

"Hahahahaha!!" Gordon laughed, "I never thought that picnicking in the Netherworld would be so delightful."

Laharl stared incredulously at Gordon. "…Is this guy really a hero?" He asked, "I'm not really one to say, but… I always thought a hero was a bit more dignified." Laharl shook his head. "This guy's just a fool."

"No, a true hero hides his real identity from the world," Flonne explained, "Pretending to be quiet or weak. Then, when someone needs to be saved, he appears admirably to uphold justice." She looked to Jennifer for conformation. "That's right, isn't it?"

Jennifer looked from Flonne to Gordon, who was still skipping merrily ahead. "Well, I guess…"

"Lalala!" Gordon sang, hopping up to click his heels.

"You sure?" Etna asked, "He looks like he doesn't have a care in the world…"

"Lalala!" Gordon trilled, and thought to himself, ("Alright, they're falling for my plan. Now, all I have to do is just play along until I can make a run for it!")

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In Celestia, before the gate to the Netherworld, Seraph Lamington gave his partner an uneasy look.

"Your existence hinges on an incredibly unstable balance," Lamington said, "Do you understand?"

"I am aware of that."

"Then, please take better care of yourself." Lamington said.

"I would like to, but I cannot leave them on their own."

Lamington stared at his partner for a minute before saying, "…My power is not limitless. Do not forget that."

The partner said nothing.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Back in the Sea of Gehenna, the gang had arrived at the Wasteland of Woe. In the time it took to reach it from where the portal had dropped them off in the Feverent Melody, Laharl's general disposition had gotten to the point that a little metaphysical rain cloud was hovering over his head. This was the result of observing Gordon's incessant cheer and optimistic attitude. How could someone who was technically a slave be in such high spirits?

Gordon, catching on to the Overlord's foul mood, and not having the sense to stay away, asked, "Hey! What's wrong, master? You're not having fun? I thought kids loved picnics! The sky is blue, and the weather is perfect!" Gordon pointed upwards and shouted, "Come on! Let's sing!"

"I'm not a kid!" Laharl snapped, waving away his black cloud of grump. "I'm 1313 years old. And mentally, I'm much more mature than you, too."

Etna didn't really see the difference between Gordon's childishness and Laharl's, and said, "Mature? I thing you two are about the same." After a minute, she added, "…For your information, I'm 1470."

Everyone then cast their eyes towards Flonne, who began to sweat.

"I'm, ummm…fairly young." She said uneasily.

Laharl raised an eyebrow. "Young? How old is young?"

"Young is…young." Flonne replied, smiling a little too much.

Laharl was not satisfied. "You're an angel, aren't you? Tell the truth."

Flonne cringed. "One thousand…five hundred nine." She said at last.

"What!? You're older than me!?" Etna cried, pointing a finger at Flonne.

The look on Flonne's (And Etna's) face was more than enough to make Laharl's day.

"Haaahahahaha!" He cackled, "You old hag!"

"I'm not old!!" Flonne yelled, her eyes blazing.

Jennifer was shocked at these revelations. "That's amazing. No one would think you're that old."

Laharl shrugged. "Hmph. That's why humans act so foolishly. They judge based solely on looks."

"Ooh, you talk big," Jennifer cooed, and bent down to Laharl's level, giving him a better view. "Then you shouldn't mind my body, right?"

Laharl began to sweat. They were so close…!

"Uh…" He tried to form words, but his tongue refused to comply. "W-well…" Laharl quickly turned away. "I'm getting hungry. Let's eat."

As Laharl walked stiffly away, Jennifer chuckled. "Changing the subject, huh? I'll let it slid this time."

Flonne spread out a blanket, and as everyone sat down, except for Thursday, she placed the basket in the center.

"Here's the picnic basket…" She began, when a purple blur zipped by.

"_En guard!_" the blur said, snatching up the basket.

"Ah, the picnic basket!" Flonne cried.

The blur halted on the bed of a nearby river, revealing itself to be Mid-Boss, picnic basket in hand,

"IT has been a while, _mademoiselle,_" Mid-Boss greeted, bowing. "The sweet smell of these _entrees_ has led _moi_ all the way here." He opened up the basket and took a whiff inside, sighing.

"Hey, Mid-Boss!" Etna yelled, shaking a fist, "Give us back our food!"

Mid-Boss held up a hand. "_Non non non non non… _I cannot oblige," He said, "For _moi_, a widower, this handmade lunch is like an oasis in a desert…" he closed the basket's lid and held it away. "I cannot give it back."

Laharl couldn't believe it. "You return after all this time, and for a stupid reason like this?"

Flonne, however, couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Mid-Boss. "Mr. Mid-Boss, you don't have anyone to make lunch for you? Poor thing…"

Mid-Boss winced. "Stop pitying _moi_!" He yelled, "That sends a sharp pain to my heart!"

"Hold it right there!" Gordon ordered, stepping forward. He pointed at Mid-Boss. "Mid-Boss, was it? That picnic basket is mine! Give it back, now!"

Mid-Boss forgot about his wounded pride and gave Gordon a appraising look. "Hmmm… You are a human,, are you not?"

"That's right!" Gordon said, thrusting out his chest. "They call me Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth!!"

"And why is the Defender of Earth Picnicking with demons?" Mid-Boss asked, amused.

Gordon almost lost his composure. "Sh-shut up! I'm not here because I want to be!"

Mid-Boss smirked. "Very well. I shall test your resolve, o Defender of Earth…" He held up the basket for all to see and said, "Now! Can you retrieve this basket from _moi_?! Haaaahahahaha!!" In a rush of movement, Mid-Boss was gone, leaving only some violet rose petals on the wind his exit made.

"Hey, you!" Gordon yelled, and ran off in the direction the wind was blowing. "Wait!!"

Laharl facepalmed. "It's so pathetic that we have to put up with that idiot…"

Nonethenless, the rest of the group chased after Gordon. When they caught up to him, they found him standing completely still.

"Hey, what are you…" Laharl began, but Gordon held up his hand.

"Not…one…sound…" He whispered, sounding nervous.

Jennifer peeked over Gordon's shoulder and saw what was the matter. In front of them were a trio of Dragons, red, blue, green respectively.

"Ohhh, golly!" She gulped.

Luckily for them, the Dragons were asleep. And so, with much trepidation, the gang tip-toed through, except for Thursday, who merely trundled along very quietly.

"I think they won't notice." Flonne whispered to Etna.

"Wait for it." Etna replied quietly. She knew it was only a matter of time, now that Flonne had tempted fate to intervene. And fate did not disappoint, as a puff of smoke from the red Dragon wafted up and under Gordon's nose.

"Ah…ahh…ahhh…!" Gordon looked ready to sneeze, causing everyone else to panic. Multiple hands shot to hold his mouth shut. After a moment, Gordon sighed. The sneeze had passed.

"Achoo!" Flonne squeaked.

Three pairs of reptilian eyes shot open, and the gang found themselves staring down three dragons.

The Dragons growled.

"Run!" Gordon yelled.

The gang took off, just barely escaping three blasts of fire being spewed their way. The Dragons, very much annoyed, went back to sleep.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

The Gang soon came upon the River of Lava. Aptly named, the River of Lava was the only part of the Sea of Gehenna that actually had a magma flow, as opposed to the steamed pools and streams everywhere else in the Sea.

"That fiend Mid-Boss must be on the other side!" Gordon declared, "Quick! I'll toss each of you across, then, you make a bridge out of that tree for me, and…!"

"There's already a bridge." Etna pointed out.

Gordon didn't even blink. He was already halfway across when he shouted, "Onwards!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

By the time the gang had reach the Searing Tyranny, they had lost track of Mid-Boss' trail.

"Hmm…" Gordon thought aloud, "Where did our lunch go?"

"Let's go home," Etna said, "This is pointless."

Laharl nodded. "I agree." Of all the times he had to put up with Mid-Boss' shenanigans, this had to be the most ridiculous one yet. For him, the Overlord, to fight some loser over a picnic was idiotic.

However, Flonne didn't think so. "We can't leave now!" She insisted, "We woke up early just to make it."

"That's right!" Gordon yelled, "As Defender of Earth, I cannot let our food fall into the hands of evil!"

This would have sounded very profound if Gordon's stomach hadn't chosen that moment to grumble.

"You're just hungry." Laharl point out.

"What are you talking about!?" Gordon cried, trying to force the redness in his cheeks diminish. "This is a challenge by evil! I cannot turn my back on this ordeal!" Gordon held up his fist to the heavens and said, "Justice must prevail!!"

Flonne was deeply moved by these words. "How wonderful!" She squealed, her eyes burning, "You really are a hero!"

Laharl and Etna rolled their eyes.

"Gordon, let's have Thursday search for the basket using his olfactory tracking device." Jennifer suggested.

"Oh yeah!" Gordon said, "I forgot about that!"

"Thursday, can you pinpoint the location where the picnic lunch's smell originates?" Jennifer asked of the robot.

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP…NO PROBLEM, JENNIFER, Thurdsay beeped, BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP…ANALYZING AIR COMPONENTS. SMALL TRACES OF SCENT CONFIRMED. BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP…FACTORING WIND VECTORS. After a minute, Thursday dinged, and pointed with one of his claws. PROJECTED COORDINATES LIE IN THE AREA UP AHEAD.

Jennifer patted Thursday on the head. "Thanks, Thursday. Hey guys," She called out, and pointed where Thursday was looking. "The culprit is up ahead."

Etna was impressed. "That robot can do stuff like that, too?" She asked, "Pretty useful."

"Of course!" Gordon said, "Thursday is a multi-purpose super robot! And the creator of Thursday is none other than Jennifer!" He proclaimed, gesturing towards the woman, who smiled humbly. "She was a child prodigy who invented Thursday at the age of 5, and earned a Ph.D. in every subject by the age of 10! Without her help, we would never have understood the secrets of the pyramids, or solved the case of Jack the Tripper!"

Etna gave Gordon a cool gaze. "…So, why are YOU bragging?"

"That's incredible, Miss Jennifer." Flonne applauded.

"It's nothing, really." Jennifer insisted, blushing a little at their praise.

"I thought you were just a dumb blonde," Laharl remarked, "But I guess I was wrong."

Jennifer grinned at Laharl, and asked, "Hmmmm? Who was the one saying not to judge people by their looks, Harlie?"

Laharl froze. "Uh… Did I say that?"

Everyone looked at Laharl expectantly.

"Anways, we have to get the basket back before Mid-Boss eats it all!" Laharl declared, and marched off ahead.

Jennifer chuckled. "You're right. Let's go."

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Following the trail Thursday had picked up with his sensors, the gang found Mid-Boss in the Inferno, the center of the Sea of Gehenna.

"My, my… What a gluttonous bunch you are," Mid-Boss remarked, "Following _moi _all this way."

"Look who's talking!" Laharl snapped, his eyes glowing red.

"Give it up!" Gordon ordered, pointing at Mid-Boss. "I swear by the name 'Defender of Earth', that I'll get that basket back!!"

"Haaaahahahaha!!" Mid-Boss laughed, "You are going to get hurt if you think that I am your average picnic basket thief!" Mid-Boss placed the stolen basket down and snapped his fingers. "Very well! I shall demonstrate for you humans the elegant techniques of the Dark Adonis!"

Mid-Boss struck a pose, and emitted a flash of pinkish light.

"Whoa!?" Gordon gasped, falling back a step. "So bright!!" Looking around, he noticed that a nearby hot spring had begun to boil. "Shoot, at this rate, we'll lose!"

"Gordon!!" Jennifer cried, leaping to the Defender's side.

Gordon nodded to Jennifer, and said, "Jennifer! Thursday! Let's give it a go!"

Thursday trundled up and began to play patriotic music.

Jennifer struck a pose, akin to a ballerina. "To protect the Earth from evil!!"

Thursday extended his claws and formed a circle. THERE IS NO REST FOR THE CHAMPIONS OF JUSTICE.

Gordon placed his left fist on his hip, and punched his right into the air. "Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth! Here to save the day!!"

The Defender team began to glow with the light of justice. Off to the side, Flonne began to sweat.

"This isn't good!" She gulped, "Laharl! Etna! They're stealing the show!"

The Overlord gave Flonne a weird look. "Well… I don't really care…"

"You should!" Flonne cried, "We're joining in!"

"What!? You serious, Flonne?" Etna asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm no longer ordinary Flonne!" The angel declared, her eyes burning. "I'm Guardian Flonne!"

Flonne pulled out a portable stereo and turned it on. As it began to play a theme song of sorts, she jumped in front of the her demon friends.

"Alright, here we go!" She yelled. She glanced at Laharl and Etna. With looks of resignation, Laharl stood at her right while Etna stood at her left. Almost against his will, Laharl punched the air half-heartedly.

Flonne, nonplussed, said, "As long as evil exists in the world, this elegant angel will soar the skies!"

Etna, looking like she ate something foul, raised her fist.

"People's cheers bring me courage!" Flonne yelled, punching the air. "Warrior of Love, Guardian Flonne!!"

Flonne gave off a burst of light, powered by love. The demons weren't so energetic, however.

"Why do I have to be a part of this…?" Laharl muttered under his breath.

"I have never been so embarrassed in all my life…" Etna groaned.

"Haaaahahahaha!!" Mid-Boss chuckled loudly, "Your teamwork is terrible compared to the Defenders of Earth!"

Flonne glared at Laharl and Etna. "Sheesh! We're being laughed at because of you two!"

"Sh-she's pissed, Prince…" Etna noted.

"I give up!" Laharl yelled, throwing up his arms. "Do what you want…"

While this little exchange was going on, Jennifer was sneaking up to where Mid-Boss had stashed the basket. However, just before she could get to it, Mid-Boss saw her coming out of the corner of his eye.

"Ho! Not so fast, _mademoiselle_!" He yelled, and swooped the picnic basket up out of Jennifer's grasp. Mid-Boss leapt away from the beautiful woman, landing magnificently on a stone in the middle of the spring.

"Take this, fiend!" Gordon yelled, a fired several rounds from his gun at Mid-Boss.

BANG!

"Ooh!" Mid-Boss cried, leaning to the left.

BANG!

"Ah!" Mid-Boss cried, ducking.

BANG!

"Oh!" Mid-Boss cried, and leapt off the stone and onto Gordon's head.

"Hey, get off!" Gordon yelled.

"If you insist!" Mid-Boss grinned, and vanished.

"Huh?" Gordon now found himself surrounded by FOUR Mid-Boss'. "Is this some illusion!?"

"Adonic Fury!" The Mid-Boss quartet began to pummel Gordon with a series of punches and kicks, ultimately blasting the Defender with a blast of purple energy. Gordon fell to the ground as the three other Mid-Boss' vanished.

"Haaaahahahaha!" Mid-Boss laughed, "One man's illusion is another's reality, is it not?"

Gordon shakily stood his ground. "That…was…"

"Hmm?" Mid-Boss put a hand to his ear. "I'm sorry, are you trying to say something?"

ROBO-ATTACK!

Mid-Boss quickly jumped away to avoid the wildly spinning Thursday. "Oh! So close! You almost got me, that time!"

"Hi-yah!" Jennifer cried, and tried to punch Mid-Boss from behind. The sassy demon, however, spun around and caught the punch.

"Hmph! You Earthlings are so full of vigor!" He remarked, "I wonder how long you can keep this up."

Jennifer, however, smiled. "Now, Flonne!"

Mid-Boss looked aside, and saw Flonne aiming an arrow at him. Vanishing from sight, the arrow struck the ground where he was.

Reappearing in the center of the area, Mid-Boss laughed. "Haaaahahahaha! None of you are getting anywhere! I wonder if you really care about what happens to this basket!"

"No matter what happens," Gordon yelled, running towards Mid-Boss, "We will never give up! I swear on the name Defender of Earth!"

Gordon swung at Mid-Boss yelling, "Gordon Punch!"

Mid-Boss flew back a few feet, before steadying himself. Rubbing his sore cheek, he said, "Well, I won't say you are not without some strength, o Defender. But will that strength gain you this basket?"

Mid-Boss waved the basket tantalizingly in the air. He was so focused on his taunting that he didn't see the large fireballs appearing around him…

FWOOM!

Until it was too late. Mid-Boss stood where he was, rooted to the ground, covered in soot.

"You lose again," Laharl said, dusting his hands. "Now, give back the picnic basket."

Mid-Boss coughed, then laughed. "Haaaahahahaha!! Unfortunately for you, I have already consumed the contents!"

Mid-Boss threw the basket to Flonne, who looked inside to see, yup, it was empty.

"You fiend!" Gordon cried, "How dare you!"

Mid-Boss wiped some soot from his face. "That means this duel is a draw!" He took off into the sky, waving. "We shall meet again! My compliments to the chef!"

As Mid-Boss flew off, Flonne shook the basket upside-down in hopes of something falling out, though none came.

"Ahhhh… Our lunch…" She whimpered.

"Oh, it's okay," Jennifer said, patting Flonne's head. "We can always make it again."

"Jennifer's right," Gordon agreed, "Lunches are expendable. Which reminds me… I haven't had Pizza Shack's Teriyaki Pizza in a long time. Now then, since this is all over, we'll be heading back to Earth," Gordon began to walk away, waving to the demons and angel. "There's no need to shed any tears. So long, people of the Netherworld!" Gordon allowed himself a smug grin. ("You go, Gordon! Take it nice and easy! No one, not even a demon, can deny a man his Pizza Shack Teriyaki Pizza. Now, if I can just return to Earth and act like nothing ever happen…")

"You know, I could care less about you leaving…" Etna commented, "But, how do you plan on getting' out of here?"

It was there that Gordon's train of thought derailed, crashed, and went up in flames.

"Huh?" Gordon blinked, until it hit him. "Nooooooooooooooooooooo!! Now that you mention it, our spaceship is in pieces!!" He cried in dismay, "We have no way of getting home!!"

Jennifer stared. "…Gordon, you just realized that?"

GEEZ LOUIS. Thursday beeped.

"Ohhhhh…" Gordon moaned, sinking to his knees. "My perfect plan…"

Laharl smirked. "Too bad, Gordon. You're fate is to be my vassal."

"Ugh…!" Gordon groaned. "We will ever be able to return to Earth? Who will defend the planet now? Will my duty as Defender of Earth go unfulfilled…?

Flonne suddenly clapped her hands. "Oh, yes. I have an idea, Mr. Gordon," She said, "Why don't you change from Defender of Earth to Defender of the Netherworld?"

"Wha?!" Gordon blanched, "I-I could never do that!"

"Oh, come on, Gordon," Jennifer said, "The Earth isn't the only world. Our duty is to safeguard peace, whether it be on Earht, or in the Netherworld."

Gordon considered it. "Hmmm… But, that title doesn't sound right…"

"Fine, I'll give you a good title," Laharl said, and pulled out his sword. Resting it on Gordon's shoulders, he proclaimed, "In the name of King Laharl, I knight thee, 'Slayer of the Netherworld'."

"Hey, wait!" Gordon cried, "That's not any better…"

"I promoted you from being a vassal," Laharl replied, "Quit complaining."

"Does that mean…we can stay here, Harlie?" Jennifer asked, bending down to Laharl's level.

"Your unusual abilities… They'll come in handy as I take control of the Netherworld," Laharl said. Turning away from Jennifer, he sighed. "I'll try to tolerate that sexy body of yours."

Flonne giggled. "I never thought I 'd hear the word 'tolerate' come from his mouth."

"That's as close to acceptance as he gets, right?" Etna grinned. "Of course, it could be that he started liking sexy bodies…"

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP, Thursday said, ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.

"It's not well!!" Gordon insisted. He began to slap himself. "This is a dream! It must be a dream! Somebody tell me it's a dream!!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

That night, Flonne wrote in a diary…

…_And that's how these people were welcomed into King Laharl's court._

_I know I helped the demons get the humans on their side..._

_But these days, I'm not so concerned about that kind of stuff._

_I hope one day all angels, demons, and humans can live happily together,_

_just as we do_

_The end._

Episode 10

Angel, Demons, and Humans

**End**

A/N: Well, another chapter done. Any questions?

Kurtis: I have one. What's this Teriyaki Gordon keeps mentioning?

A/N: Well, it's a Japanese cooking technique in which foods are broiled or grilled in sweet soy sauce marinade, or Tere.

Kurtis: So, Teriyaki Pizza is…

A/N: Pizza that's been cooked in soy sauce, I assume. I assume the Earth ran out of tomatos for tomato sauce?

Kurtis: I have no comment. But, why didn't you add Etna's journal entry for this episode?

A/N: I felt it was no longer necessary. Oh, and the theme song for Guardian Flonne is Aishitageru, the opening song for the Disgaea tv series. Anyway, what's next, Etna?

-Episode 11 Preview-

Etna: With the EDF Armada steadily advancing, it's up to me to protect the Netherworld!

Carter: Muhahahaha! What can a little girl do!?

Etna: Mega Curse Cannon! Anything in the air is toast!!

Carter: Hmm... Not bad!

Etna: Plasma Magic Circle! Nothing can get past this baby!

Carter: Ugh... Impossible!

Etna: And the ultimate weapon, Love Freak Flonne! With her idealistic notion of peace and love, she'll annoy you into submission!

Carter: Gaahhhhh... How dreadful!

Etna: Next on the _Legend of the Netherworld Heroine_, Episode 11: _Etna vs EDF_! Another page in the Netherworld's history...

Carter: We can't just sit here! All forces, move out!


	11. Hero's Will, Overlord's Way

On Earth, at the Earth Defense Force Headquarters, the airfield behind the main base was filled to the point of breaking with spaceships. Unlike Captain Gordon's explorer, these vessels were larger, better armed, and included hanger bays for hundreds of one-man fighters.

In the largest of these ships, General Carter sat in his personal office, going over documents and computer read-outs, checking to see if everything was ready.

It was.

"Finally, the time has come…" Carter sighed, shuffling the papers. "If we don't secure the Netherworld in this battle, the Earth won't last another 100 years."

Carter put the papers in a folder, and looked at two pictures on the wall. One depicted a grassy field on a spring, with flowers and cute animals, titled _Before_. Next to it was a picture of disgusting landfill, titled _After_. Carter sighed. How long did it take for mankind to realize what kind of crap they were in?

"Capturing the Netherworld…" He sighed, "That's our only means of survival."

"That is correct." A stern voice grunted from behind.

Carter gasped, and spun his chair around. "You're…!" He forced himself to calm down, and asked, "Is there something you want?"

"No, I just came to make sure you weren't backing out of this." Vulcanus answered.

"We're preparing to launch the attack," Carter explained, "Our fleet of space carriers was constructed using the most advanced technology. If your information is correct, then there is no way we can lose."

Vulcanus grunted. "That's good to know. I'm counting on you."

Vulcanus vanished, leaving only a few white feathers where he once stood.

"That angel… What does he hope to gain, giving us information about the Netherworld?" Carter mused. Ever since Vulcanus appeared before him, Carter had always been somewhat suspicious. Anyone who claimed to have a 'perfect solution' to any problem, and wanted no reward was always suspect. But so far, aside from the 'loss' of Captain Gordon and his crew, nothing unfortunate had happened.

"No, now is not the time for second guessing! The Earth is breathing its last breath," Carter groaned, shaking away a potential headache. He activated his intercom and sent out a message to the fleet. "All ships, prepare for takeoff! Earth Defense Force, move out!!"

The planet shook as the fleet rocketed off for the wormhole created by Gordon's ship, heading into the not-so-unknown beyond…

Episode 11

Hero's Will, Overlord's Way

In the Netherworld, things were-

"Not good!"

Yes, they were-

"Not good!"

Without a doubt, things were-

"Not good!"

I think you get the point.

"This is not good at all!" Gordon wailed, pacing back and forth in the Overlord's Throne room. "I must find a way to return to Earth! At this rate, I'll have no choice but to accept a job as Slayer of the Netherworld. Hmmm. Is there anyway…"

Gordon put his mind to the task, calling upon all the brainpower he developed in his training as Defender of Earth. After a minute of hard thinking, he ignited a figurative light bulb over his head.

"Oh yeah! The EDF!!" He cried, slapping his fist into his palm. "When I don't return according to schedule, they'll surely come to rescue me!! Alright! A ray of hope!!"

"Hey, was that supposed to be you talking to yourself?" Laharl asked from the throne, "I could hear every word you said."

Gordon jumped slightly and looked around. Laharl, Jennifer, Manty, Dratti, and Goleck, were watching the Defender with varied expressions.

"Gordon, do you really think the EDF will come to rescue us?" Jennifer asked.

"Of course I do!" Gordon replied, "I have faith in them!"

Jennifer looked aside worriedly. She wished SHE had faith in them...

"Prince, Prince." Etna called out, strolling into the throne room.

"What? Something wrong?" Laharl asked.

"You've received a challenge." Etna grinned, waving an envelope.

"What!?" Laharl demanded, "From who!?"

Flonne popped in at that moment, and said, "Get ready for this: it's from the Defender of Earth!"

"What'd you say!?" Gordon cried, jumping up. He rushed over to Etna and took the envelope. "That's strange…" He said, examining the envelope. "I don't remember writing a challenge…"

"What's it say?" Laharl asked.

Gordon tore open the envelope and read the paper inside;

"_I am the Defender of Earth._

"_I finally found you, evil Overlord._

"_The time has come to settle the score._

"_Come to the Forest of the Dead._

"_There, you shall meet your doom."_

After Gordon finished, Laharl considered this.

"…Okay! Let's go!" He decided.

"It's your duty as an Overlord, again?" Etna asked.

"That's right. I'll pound him into submission and make him my vassal!" Laharl laughed, "Rejoice, Gordon! It looks like you'll be meeting a new friend! Haaahahahaha!!"

Jennifer gave a whistle, and Thursday trundled up from the shadows.

"You're looking hail and hearty, comrade!" Gordon greeted.

THURSDAY IS TRYING NEW POLISH. The robot beeped.

As the group left the room, Manty stopped Etna.

"I can't think of a topic of conversation," He said, "So please take this."

The Mantacore handed (Or pawed) a magnificent spear to Etna, with the words, 'Vile Brilliance' carved into the handle.

"Sweet!" the demon girl whistled and walked off after the group.

As the party went down the corridor, they passed Ghoss. Upon learning of their plans, the Ghost had only this to say;

"Are there other Defenders of Earth?" He asked.

"Well," Gordon said, unsure, "Not really…"

"I'd be happy if there were," Laharl chuckled, putting his hands behind his head. "I'd never be bored."

By the time the party arrived at the Portal Room, word that Laharl was to fight another hero had been passed all over the castle.

"Prince," Fiona greeted, "I hear that a hero challenged you to a duel."

"That's right," Laharl replied, "I'm on my way to beat him right now."

He handed Fiona the challenge letter. She checked the return address.

"The 'Forest of the Dead', right?" she asked, turning to the portal. "I will open the gates right now."

As Fiona chanted to the vortex behind her, Laharl chuckled evilly.

"Hmhmhm… I can't wait to see who this 'hero' is." He smirked.

**-D-I-S-G-A-E-A-**

The Forest of the Dead, one of the spookiest gathering of trees ever grown in the Netherworld. Named for the amount of deaths that occurred in its history, caused by bandits and robbers hiding in the shadows of the elms, oaks, and redwoods.

As the party arrived at the Forest's entrance, a thought occurred to Jennifer.

"Hey, Gordon," She said, "Could that challenge have been written by Kurtis…"

"Kurtis!" Gordon cried, "Now that you mention it, you might be right!"

"Who's this Kurtis?" Laharl asked.

"Kurtis is the other Defender of Earth." Jennifer answered.

"The OTHER Defender of Earth?" Etna asked, raising an eyebrow. "There's more than one of 'em?"

"No, the true Defender of Earth is Gordon," Jennifer explained, "Kurtis calls himself the Defender of Earth and tries to steal work from us. But, as much as I hate to admit it, he has managed to save the Earth on a few occasions. That's why you could say that there are 2 Defenders of Earth right now."

"Hmmmm," Flonne hummed, "Sounds complicated."

Laharl shrugged. "It worked out fine in the end, since one has become the Slayer of the Netherworld."

Gordon was naturally outraged by these words. "'Worked out fine'!? This is NOT fine!!" He yelled, "I work for the Earth, not the Netherworld!!

**-D-I-S-G-A-E-A-**

Elsewhere, a mysterious pair of eyes watched the group bicker and exchange banter.

("The Overlord! I've finally found you!") the mind belonging to the eyes thought, ("Today, I'll fulfill my sworn duty! But first, I'll test your strength! I'm counting on you, my friends!")

**-D-I-S-G-A-E-A-**

As the gang trudged on, Laharl's ears picked up the faint sound of light footsteps.

"Hm?" He sniffed the air. "I sense something nearby."

Everyone quickly got on their guard.

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP… Thursday announced, UNKNOWN BIORHYTHMS DETECTED. DANGER DANGER DANGER…

Everyone quickly got themselves ready for a fight, as several Lanterns came out from behind the trees, headed by a Star Skull. Star Skulls were demon sorcerers skilled in star magic, a strange power unexplained by science or magic.

"None shall pass," The Star Skull said, "That is the law of this Forest."

"Why?" Flonne asked.

"I told you, it's the law of the Forest."

"But why is it the law of the Forest?" Flonne insisted.

"…It just is, okay!?" The Star Skull snapped.

"Hey!" Laharl growled, annoyed at being ignored. "Who do you think you are? Don't you know you're barring the way of the Overlord?"

The Star Skull looked at the Overlord. "Huh?"

"You heard me!" Laharl yelled, pointing. "I am Laharl, King of the Netherworld!"

"And I," Gordon said, jumping up next to Laharl. "Am Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth!!"

The pair shined, reveling in their glory.

"Never heard of you both." The Star Skull replied, sending the so-called glorious ones to the ground in defeat.

"Hey, Prince," Etna said, "It looks like these guys aren't gonna let us by no matter what. Why don't we just beat them up?"

"Good idea!" Laharl said, as he and Gordon got up. "The punishment for blocking the Overlord's path is…execution!"

Laharl quickly slammed a Burning Knuckle into the Star Skull, sending the sorcerer flying in a ball of fire. Not to be outdone, Gordon quickly fired several rounds at the Lanterns.

"Run away!" One of the Lanterns yelled, "They're packin' heat!"

As the Lanterns fled, Laharl and Gordon unthinkingly moved to give each other hi-fives. Just before their palsm could connect, however, they realized what they were doing and decided against it.

"Well," Laharl grumbled, annoyed at himself for almost getting chummy with his human slave. "Let's move on!"

**-D-I-S-G-A-E-A-**

"Yes… It really is him! After all this time!"

**-D-I-S-G-A-E-A-**

As the party moved on through the forest, they saw an old man, dressed in Renaissance clothing and a conquistador's helmet appear before them.

"Overlord!" The old man called out, "Prepare yourself!!"

Gordon stepped forward and stared at the old man. Something about that beak-like nose, and those sharp eyes…

"Kurtis!?" Gordon cried in surprise

The old man unsheathed a sword and charged. "Take Thissssssssss!!"

LOOK OUT, CAPTAIN. Thursday beeped, and knocked Gordon out of the old man's path. The sword came down and struck the Super Robot, causing several sparks to fly out.

"Thursday!" Gordon cried in alarm. Gritting his teeth, Gordon pointed an accusing finger at the old man. "You're not Kurtis!! Who are you? Are you aware of who you're dealing with!? I am Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth!"

Gordon moved to attack, but Jennifer held out an arm, stopping him.

"Wait, Gordon!" She said.

The old man, meanwhile, blinked. "What? The Defender of Earth?" he pointed an accusing finger of his own. "What would the Defender of Earth be doing here in the company of the Overlord?"

Gordon backed away, a bit uneasy. "Uh, well…" He sputtered, "It's a complex situation…"

"He's my vassal," Laharl interjected, stepping forward. "He lost to me in battle, so I made him my slave. His new name is Slayer of the Netherworld."

"What was that!?" The old man cried, looking between Gordon and Laharl. "The Defender of Earth is now the Overlord's vassal!?"

Gordon stepped forward, uneasy. "S-sir!?"

The old man turned away. "How shameful… How disgracefull…" He muttered, "The Defender of Earth has sunk so low…"

"Hey! You haven't heard the whole story!" Gordon yelled, "Besides, you haven't even introduced yourself yet!"

"…Me?" The old man asked, looking over his shoulder. He turned around and thrust his chest out proudly. "I'm Don Joaquin, the original Defender of Earh…"

The old man walked off, vanishing in shimmer of light, leaving the dumbstruck party behind.

"The original…" Gordon repeated slowly, "Defender of Earth…?"

Etna wasn't too impressed, or convinced. "That ol' man? Sounds fishy to me."

"No, it may be true," Jennifer said, "My father used to tell me about him. Hundreds of years ago, the first Defender of Earth left for the Netherworld to vanquish the Overlord, and never returned…"

"But, how is he still alive?" Flonne asked, "Compared to the typical human lifespan, he should have passed away a long time ago."

"That's probably his soul," Laharl remarked, "He probably couldn't rest in peace until he defeated the Overlord, so his soul remained behind."

"Why…?" Flonne asked, concerned.

"There's only one thing!!" Gordon cried suddenly, "It's his duty as a hero!"

As Gordon began to glow with patriotism, Etna remarked, "He's starting to sound like you, Prince…"

"I'm so touched!" Gordon continued, "The idea of him still struggling to fulfill his duty, transcending time! A true Defender of Earth!! I'm proud to follow in his footsteps!!"

"But," Etna interjected, "I don't think an old man like that could defeat the Prince in a thousand years."

Gordon deflated. "Yeah… I see your point."

Flonne, however, was touched by what she heard. "But we have to help him!" She cried, "We can't just leave him like this!"

Laharl gave Flonne a look and said, "…Hey, Love Freak. You're not trying to force your beliefs on me again, are you?"

"Bingo!" Flonne winked. "The next time we run into him, let's lose on purpose. That way, he'll finally be satisfied, and his spirit will ascend to heaven."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Laharl spat, "I have a duty to fulfill, too! I can't lose on purpose!"

"Why?" FLonne asked innocently, "Is that a big deal?" Her eyes narrowed on the Overlord in thought. "Are you that selfish that you can't even save a poor hero's soul?"

"Shut up!" Laharl snapped, his eyes turning red. "This is between me and him! So, stay out of it!!"

Flonne said nothing. Taking advantage of that, Laharl pointed towards where Don Joaquin went and ordered, "We're going in after him!

**-D-I-S-G-A-E-A-**

As the party forced their way through the Forest, being hassled by various encounters with Lanterns, it soon became obvious that something was wrong with Thursday.

After trouncing one particular annoying group of Lanterns, Thursday began to beep and spark wildly.

"Huh?" Gordon looked at Thursday in alarm. "Wh-what's wrong, Thursday!?"

Jennifer quickly rushed over to Thursday side and inspected him. After a few checks, she gasped.

"Oh no!" She cried, "The shock from that old man's attack has short-circuited him!"

Jennifer pointed to a spot on Thursday's hull. It was slight, but there was a slight gash in the metal.

"Can you repair him, Jennifer!?" Gordon asked hurriedly, in fear of Thursday's life.

Jennifer bit her lip in worry. "Even though I built Thursday when I was 5, I can't fix him without the proper equipment.

Thursday beeped and sparked some more.

"Ahhh…" Jennifer bent down and took another look, opening up the robot to get a look inside. "The damage to his Memory Circuit is extensive. If Thursday overheats, then his entire memory will be lost.

Gordon frowned. "Hmmmm… That leaves me no choice. Thursday, you're going to have to sit on the sidelines for now.

BEEP…BLIP BEEP… Thursday moaned pitifully, W-WAIT. THURSDAY CAN FIGHT.

Gordon crossed his arms and gave Thursday a look. "I won't allow it. We can't afford to lose you."

"Gordon's right," Jennifer said, "You heard what I said, didn't you? Your memory could be lost. If that happens, you'll forget about Gordon and I, and all the wonderful memories that we've shared together."

BE…EP… Thursday groaned, THURSDAY FIGHT ANYWAY…

"Thursday…!" Gordon murmured, astounded at the robot's resolve.

EVEN THOUGH THURSDAY ROBOT, GORDON AND JENNIFER CALL THURSDAY FRIEND, Thursday beeped. His front printed out several pictures of the three at the beach, in a restaurant, and outside a movie. THURSDAY HAPPY. THURSDAY WANT TO SHOW GRATITUDE… THURSDAY MAY LOSE MEMORY IF PARTICIPATION IS RESUMED…LOSE MEMORY. VERY SAD. BUT BEING USELESS EVEN MORE SAD… The robot trundled closer to the group. THAT IS WHY THURSDAY FIGHT ALONGSIDE YOU UNTIL VERY END…

"Thursday…!" Gordon sobbed, brought to tears by the speech.

Laharl saw Gordon shuddering and asked, "What's wrong, you gotta go?"

"No he doesn't!" Flonne answered sharply, "He's been touched by Mr. Thursday's heart!"

Etna raised an eyebrow. "Heart? Robots have hearts?"

"What are you saying!" Gordon demanded, wiping away his tears. "Thursday's words are the very heart of a Defender of Earth!! It doesn't matter if he's human or robot; he had the same spirit burning deep inside of him!" Gordon turned to Thursday. "Thursday!"

YES, CAPTAIN GORDON?

"Your noble spirit has touched my heart!" Gordon proclaimed, "No matter what the outcome, I will be proud to fight beside you!" Gordon held out his hand and yelled, "Now, join us, Thursday!"

BEEP BEEP… Thursday extended a claw and took Gordon's hand. THANK YOU, CAPTAIN… THURSDAY SO GLAD TO HAVE MET YOU…

Gordon grinned, while Jennifer looked on with a sad smile.

"If you guys are done with your love fest," Etna cut in, "Then maybe you could help us out with a problem."

"What's wrong?" Flonne asked.

"There's a bunch of Imps hidden in the trees up ahead," Laharl explained, "It'd be easy to just raze that part of the forest, but I wanna save my strength for that old man."

"So, we've got to figure out where the Imps are before they spray us with Hell Pepper." Etna finished.

There was a brief pause as the group considered their options. Then Thursday beeped.

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP… The robot announced, THURSDAY'S SCANNERS STILL WORK. CAN FIND IMPS' LOCATION.

"Excellent idea, Thursday!" Gordon applauded, "Quick, where are those little devils?"

With Thursday's direction, the group were able to exterminate the hidden Imps in no time.

"That was easy," Laharl sniffed, sheathing his sword. "I'm actually a little disappointed."

"And it's all because of Mr. Thursday!" Flonne cheered.

BEEP BLIP BEEP…GLAD TO BE OF SERVICE. Thursday beeped shakily.

"Save your strength, comrade!" Gordon replied, "Don Joaquin awaits!"

**-D-I-S-G-A-E-A-**

Eventually, the group caught up with Don Joaquin's ghost in a clearing.

"I've been waiting for you, Overlord!!" the ghost yelled, "Countless years have passed since I left my home, Earth, so far away! How I've dreamt of this day!!" He pointed his sword at Laharl. "Now, we shall settle this at last!"

"That we will!" Laharl shot back, stepping forward. "King Laharl runs from no one!" He pulled out his own sword. "Come on!!"

Frantic, Flonne quickly grabbed Laharl's shoulder. "W-wait, Laharl!! You're not actually going to fight him, are you?"

"Why not?" Laharl asked, looking at Flonne. "He challenged me, didn't he?"

Flonne couldn't take it anymore. She was just about fed up with the Overlord's selfish behavior. "Laharl…! You're-"

"Flonne, just let him do things his way." Etna cut in.

"B-but…!" Flonne was about to explain how winning or losing was pointless at this point, when Don Joaquin yelled, "My friends!! Aid me in this battle!!"

"Hm!?" Laharl quickly looked around. "He's not alone?"

The ground shook slightly, and from the earth did several Zombies rise out. They moaned "Ffffrrriiiieeeennndddsssss…" as they climbed from the dirt.

"…More Zombies, huh." Laharl deadpanned. Was he cursed, or something?

"Whaddya think of this!?" Joaquin laughed, "I've made a few friends over the years!" Raising his sword, he yelled, "Here I come, Overlord!! Now is the moment that I fulfill my duty!!"

"Very well!" Laharl shouted back, "_En Guard_, old hero!!"

The two opponents leapt at each other…and missed spectacularly, landing on opposite sides of their gangs.

"Hey! You did that on purpose!" The Overlord and the hero yelled. They both tried to run around the groups, but both ended up going in the same direction, causing them to run in circles. "Stop running away, coward!"

As the two tried to meet each other in combat, the rest of Laharl's posse was left fighting the Zombies.

"Yeesh, first you, then Aramis, and now this guy…" Etna grumbled, sending the Vile Brilliance cleanly through a Zombie's chest. "What is it with the Prince and fighting Zombies?"

"More importantly," Gordon huffed, firing repeatedly. "How can we defeat these monstrosities!? They refuse to stay down!"

"That's Zombies for ya," Etna shrugged, impaling another Zombie. "You can't just knock 'em down. You gotta smash 'em to pieces!"

And on that note, Etna threw the impaled Zombie up in the air. Jumping after it, she slapped it down into another Zombie, creating an undead mishmash.

Off to the side, Thursday was in true form, grabbing and throwing Zombies with his extending claws.

ROBO-ATTACK!

Thursday plowed through a pack of Zombies, spinning quickly. However, each strike caused more and more sparks to fly up.

Meanwhile, Laharl and Joaquin had (Finally) engaged in combat. And for a moment, they were equal. Laharl had strength, but Joaquin had experience, which allowed him to predict the Overlord's movements.

("He's good…") Laharl thought, trying to land a decent hit, ("Time to get serious!")

"Burning Knuckle!" Laharl yelled, and threw a flaming fist at Joaquin. But the old Defender jumped away in time, avoiding the blow.

"Hmph! That was a close one," Joaquin grunted, landing further back from Laharl. "Maybe I should use that special trick…"

Joaquin raised his sword in the air and yelled, "Galactic Power!" An asteroid, pulled straight from the vacuum of space, came plummeting down through the skies onto Laharl-

Pop!

-And went the way of a water balloon in summertime. It was the size of a baseball.

"Oww…!" Laharl rubbed his now sore head. "That hurt!"

"Dang," Joaquin muttered, "And that was my big finisher, too."

Laharl felt the bump that was growing; It stung. Back with the others, Flonne was busy trying a bold and inventive way of dealing with the Zombies- Fire. Everyone knew that Zombies hated fire, right?

"Fire!" She called out, casting the spell.

The Zombie she hit paused as his head became enflamed. Then, with minimal effort, patted the fire out.

"Wha-!?" Flonne blanched. "But fire always works on Zombies, doesn't it?"

"They must be protected, with a spell." Etna commented.

Then Jennifer struck upon an even more inventive solution.

"Flonne, try something colder!" She yelled.

"Ice!" Flonne called out, and sent the magic toward that Zombie.

This seemed to be much more effective, as it suddenly had trouble moving, while encased in ice.

"I thought so!" Jennifer nodded proudly, "The Zombie can't move with its joints stiffened like that. Gordon, Thursday, arrange the Zomebies so that they're in one grouping!"

"Already on it, Jennifer!" Gordon replied, punching a Zombie back. "We're going to finish these characters off in one fantastic blow! Right, Thursday!?"

BE…LIP BEEP… Thursday replied, sparking some more.

It took some effort, akin to herding a pack of cats, but soon the Zombies were now altogether.

"Now, Flonne!" Jennifer yelled.

The Angel Trainee needed no more coaxing. With one cry of "Mega Ice!" The Zombie horde was soon one giant undead popsicle.

"That's how I like my Zombies," Etna grinned, "Cold as the grave."

Meanwhile, the duel between Overlord and Defender's ghost was reaching its climax.

"It's high time we finished this, Overlord!" Joaquin yelled, pulling back his sword, "Heroic Slash!!"

With a great, exaggerated wind-up, Joaquin swung his sword as Laharl-

Crack!

-And just barely scratched the demon king's chest.

"Ugh!" Laharl grunted, rubbing his sore abdomen. He was starting to get annoyed with this persistent old man! "Overlord's Wrath!"

Don Joaquin, the 1st Defender of Earth, barely saw the fireballs coming before they blasted him.

KRA-OOM!

Flonne was horrified by the sight. "Laharl!" She cried, and rushed in front of the Overlord. "Why!? Why didn't you lose!? I know that you have a kind heart inside! Why...?"

"…You're starting to get annoying," Laharl said stubbornly, "I'm a demon. There was never any kindness in my heart." How many times did he have to say that for her to get the message? "You were wrong about me. Sorry to disappoint you."

That was the last straw for Flonne. "You've let me down, Laharl!" She yelled, "You're the worst…"

"It's okay, little girl…"

Flonne stopped her tirade to look. Joaquin was still lying where the blast had thrown him, but he was conscious.

"Huh?" Flonne blinked.

"It's all okay," Joaquin repeated, still not moving. "I'm satisfied, now…"

Flonne didn't understand. "…What do you mean?"

"It may be hard for you to understand, but we heroes live a certain way, and we die a certain way, too," Joaquin explained, sitting up. "I was known as the Defender of Earth, but I grew old, died, and have since existed as a mere soul… I could no longer live as a hero, nor could I die as one; I just wandered the Netherworld… How pathetic I felt…" Joaquin shook off his helmet. "But, at long last, I was able to fight again as Defender of Earth. I wasn't able to win, but I have no regrets. In fact," He said, smiling. "I feel as if a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. It's all thanks to this kid Overlord," He gestured at Laharl, who looked away. "Because he fought me with all his might. Now, I can finally rest in peace… Thank you."

Laharl sniffed. "Hmph. What kind of hero thanks an Overlord?" He paused. "…I was just fulfilling my own duty."

Suddenly, Thursday began to spark and beep wildly again.

Jennifer's eyes widened in horror. "Gordon! Thursday's…!!"

Gordon didn't need to hear the rest. Instead, he rushed to Thursday's side, yelling, "Hey, hang in there, Thursday!!"

GORDON… JENNI…FER… Thursday moaned.

"Don't speak, Thursday!" Jennifer ordered, "You'll just waste your energy!

IT IS…OKAY, JENNIFER… Thursday insisted. To Gordon, he asked, DID…THURSDAY…SERVE…HIS…PURPOSE?

"Thursday…!" Gordon opened his mouth, then closed it. After a moment, he said, almost frantically, "Yes! Of course! Of course you did, Thursday!! We were only able to overcome the many obstacles we have faced in our adventures because of your support!! We three together are the Defenders of Earth!! So don't give up, Thursday!!"

THANK GOODNESS… Thursday buzzed, sending out more sparks. THANK YOU…FOR…ALL…THE…MEM…OR…IES…

There was a horrible sound like a great locomotive slowing to halt after running out of fuel, followed by an even more terrible silence. All of Thursday's lights went off.

"Thursday…" Jennifer sniffed, a great flood of tears about to break through.

"Thursday…!" Gordon sobbed, "Thursdaaaaaaaaaaaay!!"

Joaquin stared at this spectacle, almost passively so. Then, he said, "Young Defender of Earth, you have wonderful friends."

As everyone turned to Joaquin, he said, "If I had friends like that, maybe things would have been different."

With great effort, Don Joaquin stood up, and placed his helmet back on.

"…This shall be my final act as Defender of Earth."

Raising his sword in the air, Joaquin's body began to glow.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh...!!" He called out, and the air seemed to shine. There was a great flash, and then, all was still.

BEEP…BEEP BLIP BEEP…

Everyone whirled around. Thursday was active again!

"Thursday!!" Jennifer cried, and rushed to inspect the robot. "How can this be!? His circuit is fixed!!"

"…Which means!!" Gordon cried in realization.

BEEP BLIP BEEP… Thursday said, GOOD MORNING, CAPTAIN GORDON, JENNIFER.

"Ohh, Thursday!!" Gordon sobbed, tears once again pouring through. Abandoning all pretense of authority and rank, Gordon swung his arms around Thursday, pulling the robot(With some effort) into a hug. Jennifer quickly joined in.

"Ahh, thank goodness!" She sobbed, crying as well. To Joaquin, she said, "Thank you so much! How can we repay you…?"

Joaquin waved a dismissive hand. "No, it was my fault that this happened in the first place…I don't need to be thanked…" Plunging his sword into the ground, Joaquin said, "Farewell, young Defenders of Earth. Remember that spirit inside you…"

Don Joaquin became a ball of blue/white light, and drifted up into the sky above, leaving his sword behind.

Looking up, Gordon raised his hand and said, "I salute you, Don Joaquin, the original Defender of Earth!"

Laharl looked up as well. "…Maybe there are some decent humans out there, after all."

"Looks like you're getting the hang of being Overlord, aren't ya, Prince?" Etna remarked.

"Of course," Laharl smirked, crossing his arms. "Who do you think I am? I'm the great King Laharl."

"Umm, Laharl…"

Everyone looked at Flonne, who had an embarrassed expression on her face.

"I'm sorry that I jumped to conclusions and such horrible things…" She said humbly.

"That's right!" Laharl cried, snapping his fingers. "You said I'm 'the worst…' didn't you? What were you gonna say next? 'The worst…' what?"

Flonne backed away, now painfully aware of everyone watching her. "Uh… W-well…"

"I'd like to hear the answer to that, too." Gordon admitted, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Me, too." Jennifer agreed.

Flonne, glanced at Etna, who had a sadistic look on her face.

"What kind of filthy language was about to escape those love-preaching lips?" Etna asked mischievously.

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP…NOW CALCUATING, NOW CALCUATING… Thursday announced. Somewhere inside the robot a bell rang. CALCUATION COMPLETE. THE ANSWER IS…

"Noooooo!!" Flonne wailed, and shoved Thursday over. The lights on him went out.

"Ah, she destroyed the evidence." Etna giggled evilly.

"Ahh! Thursday!!" Jennifer cried, rushing over to the robot's side.

"Oh my god!" Gordon cried, "Are you okay, Thursday!!"

Both demons present gave Flonne scrutinizing looks.

"…Wicked little Angel." Laharl sniffed.

Etna nodded. "Yep. Worse than a demon."

"N-no, I'm not…!" Flonne cried out stubbornly.

**-D-I-S-G-A-E-A-**

As the party walked back to the castle, Thursday had just one last thing to say.

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP…

EPISODE 11

"HERO'S WILL, OVERLORD'S WAY"

THE END

A/N: And another chapter done! And this was a tearjerker, in the end.

Vulcanus: Because of that robot… Idiotic.

A/n: How dare you! Any death, even from an unloving thing, can be heartbreaking if done properly! I had trouble typing it out because my eyes were tearing up!

Vulcanus: Stupid human… *Leaves*

A/n: Good riddance. Anyway, I wonder if anyone saw the resemblance between Joaquin and Kurtis? They have identical noses and eyes, you know. Maybe they're related. Anyway, what's next, Etna?

-Episode 12 preview-

Etna: Etna and...!

Jennifer: Jennifer's...!

Etna & Jennifer: Netherworld Telephone Shopping!!

Etna: Today's item: the multi-purpose super robot, Thursday!

Thursday: BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP....

Etna: Tired of after-Thankstaking sales hassles? Leave it all to Thursday! He'll bring the entire mall right to your doorstep!

Jennifer: Thursday's super computer makes preparing your taxes a cinch! No more buying tax software every year! What a great way to save3

Etna: Now, you can get your very own Thursday!

Jennifer: With a free branch lopper and knife set!

Etna & Jennifer: All for just 29,990 HL! That's right, just 29,990 HL!! Call right now!

Thursday: YOU NEGLECTED TO MENTION THE NEXT EPISODE.


	12. War of the Netherworld, Part 1

The Stellar Graveyard.

Considered the best place for stargazing in all the Netherworld, the only reason it hasn't already been turned into a corporate tourist attraction was due to the fact that so many strange things (allegedly) happened, and said strange things (allegedly) scared away the paying, but cowardly, customers.

The upshot of this was that if someone wanted to be alone, the Stellar Graveyard would be the ideal place to go.

"What a month I've been having," Sighed a Zombie, "First I get stepped on by some kind of giant demon, and then a spaceman falls on me... Sometimes it ain't worth rising from the grave…"

It was at this moment that the Zombie felt something. He wasn't sure what it was. The best way to describe what he felt would be to consider what would happen if static electricity could be carried on the wind.

There was also this odd sound, like oiled tin foil being fried on the skillet.

And what was more, it seemed like the feeling and the sound were being concentrated on a single point in the sky. It felt like a closet that was packed to the point of breaking, where it would only take a single nudge for everything to spill out in one fantastic flood of bric-a-brac.

Then it happened.

Episode 12

War of the Netherworld

Part 1

The explosion shook the whole of the Netherworld, and as such, the Overlord's Castle was affected as well, maybe moreso than the rest of the Netherworld. Dishes fell off of shelves and broke, suits of decorative armor collapsed, and card castles and domino sets were knocked down, causing their builders to break down in tears.

"What was that?" Flonne asked, getting up from where she had fallen.

"Felt like an earthquake," Etna remarked, casually leaning against a pillar for support. "But they barely ever happen around here."

"But whenever there's one, something big always happens," Laharl finished. He clung to the arm rests on his throne, looking a kid in roller coaster about to start. "Hmhmhm… I wonder what catastrophe will happen this time."

"P-prince!" A Prinny wailed, rushing into the throne room. "Several giant objects have appeared at the Stellar Graveyard, dood!"

"That was quick…how many?" Laharl asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Dood, there's billions of 'em!"

From another corner of the throne room, Gordon looked eagerly to his sidekicks.

"You hear that, Jennifer? The EDF is here to rescue us!" The Defender of Earth exclaimed, "We can go home!"

"Wait, Gordon. We can't be so sure," Jennifer said cautiously, "Even if it was the EDF, why would they send so many ships?" If she had guessed correctly, then…

"Oh, come on," Gordon replied, "Why are you being so pessimistic? It's not like you."

"Why don't we go check it out?" Etna asked, standing up and stretching.

"I agree," Flonne nodded, "Sitting here won't do any good."

"Alright then!" Laharl leapt off the throne, "To the Stellar Graveyard!"

As the group, with Gordon grinning, Jennifer fretting, and Thursday beeping, left the throne room, Manty commented, "It's been awhile since the last natural disaster. Let's see, there was…"

The group paused, ears open.

"The time the King was so happy that the Queen accepted his proposal, he knocked over a few mountains…"

"_She said YES!!" Krichevskoy squealed. _

_He was so worked up he flung a fireball at a nearby peak. This caused it to crash into the peak next to it, making it hit the peak next to it, making it hit the peak next to it…_

"The time when the King was so thrilled that the Prince was born, he froze the ocean…"

"_It's a BOY!!" Krichevskoy cheered._

_He clapped his hands eagerly, and the breeze created built into a fantastic wind that blew over the sea, turning it to ice._

"And the time when the King was so sad because of the Queen's passing he split the earth in two…"

"_Dear God, WHY!?" Krichevskoy wailed, and slammed his fist into the ground, creating a fissure._

Flonne scratched her head. "…Wouldn't you consider those to be artificial disasters…?" She murmured as the party moved on to the Portal room.

There, things were going berserk, as demons ran left and right trying to cope with the tremor. Fiona looked especially unnerved.

"We have detected giant objects in the 'Stellar Graveyard'," She told Laharl. Frowning, she said, "I feel a great power… Prince, be careful."

Laharl snorted. "There's no power greater than mine," He said as the party moved in through the portal. "Just relax and wait for my return."

And with that, Laharl stepped through the portal.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In the Stellar Graveyard, several soldiers for the EDF were busy exploring. They were the recruits, the bottom-ranking soldiers given the task of deciding whether or not the territory was worth the effort. So far, the initial report seemed…unfavorable. Their surroundings looked like the set for a recreation of Apollo 13's landing. Of course, given that their uniforms looked like a cross between early deep-sea diving suits, they had no right to comment.

Their exploration was interrupted by someone calling, "Soldiers of the EDF!"

Turning, they saw none other than the pronounced dead form of Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth, followed by his assistant Jennifer, and the Super Robot Thursday. Next to them were a trio of child-like demons, one of whome looked marginally different from the other two.

Gordon looked to Jennifer happily and said, "I told you, Jennifer! Just like I said!"

Jennifer didn't respond. She was giving the recruits a calculating look.

"Hmmm. I've never seen so many humans all at once." Laharl murmured, staring at the soldiers.

"So, what'd they come all the way here for?" Etna asked.

"Aren't they here to rescue Mr. Gordon?" Flonne commented.

"Don't you think they're acting kinda strange, though?" Etna remarked, nodding. So far, not one soldiers had reacted to their presence, save for unemotional staring. Though that might be the helmets, covering their faces…

Gordon, who was still expecting a glorious reunion with his comrades, asked, "What's wrong? Your beloved hero is right here!"

No response, just muffled breathing.

"H-hey! Guys!" Gordon cried, waving his arms. Were they even _looking _at him? "It's me! Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth!!"

"Not very popular, are you?" Laharl remarked nastily.

"Poor Mr. Gordon…" Flonne sighed.

"D-don't be silly! I'm the Defender of Earth! All the kids love me!" Gordon said desperately, "I had my own comic series and Saturday morning cartoon!"

"But, they don't seem all that impressed." Etna nodded to the astronauts again, who still had not moved. It was as if they were waiting for some signal…

"Gordon, we've been used…" Jennifer then said, her voice dripping with defeat.

"Used?" Gordon looked to his assistant in confusion. "What do you mean, Jennifer?"

"They asked us to defeat the Overlord," Jennifer explained sadly, "But their true purpose was to secure a route to the Netherworld…"

"What are you saying, Jennifer!?" Gordon cried, alarmed at what he was hearing. "They're risking their to save us! How can you accuse them of…!"

"But, Gordon… Can't you see…?" Jennifer began, but Gordon cut her off.

"Enough of this!" He said firmly, crossing his arms. "I don't want to hear it!" Glaring, he said, "I'm shocked and disappointed in you! I hereby dismiss you from your duties as my assistant!"

Jennifer's eyes widened and she jolted- and then slumped.

"…I see." She said sadly.

"I must have faith in the people of Earth!" Gordon told her firmly, "Unfaltering, unwavering faith! It's my duty as Defender of Earth!" He looked to the astronauts. "Right, guys!?"

"Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth…" Said the officer of the squad, in a deep electronic voice, "You are to be terminated…"

"What!?"

Etna shook her head. "Sucks to be you."

"'All the kids love me,' huh," Laharl snorted. "Right…"

"Poor Mr. Gordon…" Flonne sighed again.

"…Die…" The officer said calmly, raising an EDF-regulation gun to bear. The other astronauts followed suit.

"Hit the deck!" Laharl yelled, and the party scattered as the EDF troops opened fire. Diving behind large rocks and into craters, the gang responded with Laharl's fireballs, Etna and Gordon's guns, and Flonne's arrows.

Laharl, in a few minutes, got pretty bored with the stand off, and charged at the EDF squad.

"Winged Slayer!" He roared, and slammed his sword into the ground. The resulting blast ended the battle pretty quickly, leaving the soldiers in a burnt and broken heap. Once the battle was over, Gordon began to gather his thoughts.

"Hmmm… Why would the EDF attack me?" He wondered aloud.

"Duh, they stabbed you in the back," Etna said, rolling her eyes. "You're slow!"

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP… Thursday rolled up to Gordon and said, CAPTAIN GORDON, INCOMING MESSAGE FROM GENERAL CARTER.

Thursday's eyes projected a miniature hologram of Carter onto the ground.

"Ahh, Gordon," Carter greeted pleasantly, in the tone a shark might greet its next meal. "I see that you're still alive."

"What!?" Gordon cried.

"Muhahahaha!! With your help securing a route, we were able to make it here unchallenged," Carter chuckled evilly, "Now, the Netherworld will be ours!" He saluted. "I thank you, Defenders of Earth! Muhahahaha!!"

"Oh my god!" Gordon cried, shaking. "We were being used!?"

"Ummm… Are you just realizing that, now?" Flonne asked, sweating.

"Aren't you happy, Flonne?" Laharl sneered, "There's someone even dumber than you."

"Ugh…!" Gordon grimaced for a minute, before putting on a big grin and laughing a bit too loud. "Ha-hahahahaha!! I knew of their plan all along!"

"Liar!" Enta snapped, eyes going red.

"Gordon," Carter said, "You were a splendid pawn. I will tell the people of Earth that Captain Gordon died valiantly while fighting the Overlord." He smirked. "That is the least I can do for you." Carter snapped Gordon with another salute. "Well then, Gordon, so long. Muhahahaha!!"

The hologram vanished.

"Hmmm…" Laharl rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "There are some promising humans out there."

"I was thinking the same thing," Etna grinned, "Should we try to recruit him?"

"Will you stop joking around!?" Flonne yelled, "This is a serious matter!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Gordon saw Jennifer, looking distraught.

"J-jennifer…?" He asked slowly.

"She's probably hurt because you trusted them instead of her," Etna sighed tragically. Then, more casually, she said, "Oh well, it's none of my business."

"Didn't you dismiss her just a minute ago, Gordon?" Laharl asked evilly.

"Awww…" Flonne sighed, "Poor Miss Jennifer…!"

Gordon felt his throat tighten. "J-jennifer… About that dismissal…"

"…It's okay, Gordon," Jennifer said sadly, looking down. "I deserved to be dismissed…"

"Jennifer…" Gordon looked to Thursday for some form of help.

THURSDAY NOT THE ONE TO BLAME, The robot said, ALL GORDON'S FAULT!

"Ohhhhhhhhhh…!" Gordon fell to his hands and knees. "I'm so sorry, Jennifer…!"

"We don't have time for you to feel sorry for yourself," Laharl said shortly, "There are more humans wandering around," He glanced at Thursday. "Right?"

CORRECT, Thursday agreed, SENSORS INDICATE LARGE NUMBER OF BIO-SIGNITURES WITHIN THE AREA. THEY CORRESPOND WITH EDF SOLDIERS' BIO-SIGNITURES.

Laharl nodded. "See? So get it together, we need to show these humans just who's neighborhood they've moved into," Laharl smirked evilly, before laughing. "Haaaahahahaha!!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Following Thursday's direction, the group went ahead. Even as EDF ships buzzed the sky, they were able to hear someone say; "Long time, no see, Gordon!"

Gordon quickly pulled out his gun, fingering the trigger.

"Who's there!?" He called out.

Suddenly, a flash of light zipped by, knocking Gordon back. Gordon grunted, trying to keep his balance. Looking around, he saw a form standing on fire in the sky. This is what a man who has rockets built into his soles looks like, and that man landed on a rock pillar jutting out from the ground.

"K-kurtis!?" Gordon cried, shocked.

"That's right," Kurtis nodded, "Kurtis, Defender of Earth."

For a brief moment, Kurtis seemed to shine.

Flonne was amazed.

"How cool!" She squealed, "A rival has made his appearance! Look, look!"

"Yeah, yeah," Etna sighed, rolling her eyes. "Calm down."

Kurtis, meanwhile, was looking down at Gordon with disdain. "My goal was to defeat you, Gordon," He said, "But it seems I've overestimated you."

"Huh!? What do you mean!?" Gordon demanded.

"I assumed that you had completed your mission and defeated the Overlord," Kurtis explained, "I came here to settle things with you. But, look at the facts. You've failed your mission, and even worse, you've become the Overlord's slave. I'm embarrassed to call you my rival!"

Laharl nodded. "He's right. That IS embarrassing."

Gordon clenched his fists, scowling.

"You don't have the right to call yourself 'Defender of Earth', nor the right to fight me!" Kurtis finished. Turning his back, he waved a dismissive hand. "…So long."

"Kurtis, wait!" Gordon called out, "You're right. I didn't complete my mission. And in your eyes, it may seem that my current predicament is rather…pathetic."

"What's he talking about?" Etna asked Flonne, "It IS pathetic."

"Shh!" Flonne hissed, "It's getting good!"

"But! But, I say!! I have not lost my passion… I have not lost my hero's spirit!!" Gordon insisted, "Words cannot describe this sensation! My soul burns brighter than ever before!! And do you know why!?" Gordon pointed skyward. "Because the true enemy has appeared before my very eyes!!"

"…Fine, then," Kurtis said, turning back to Gordon. "If you insist, prove me wrong."

As if on cue, a low-flying ship dropped off a platoon of EDF soldiers nearby.

"I'll be waiting for you, Captain Gordon," Kurtis said, turning away. "Don't lose to these bunch of soldiers…"

Kurtis rocketed away, leaving the group alone with the squad.

"Wait, wasn't he gonna fight?" Etna asked, pulling out her spear.

"It doesn't work like that," Flonne insisted, "A good rival has to make sure the hero can fight toe-to-toe before the climactic duel! We're being tested!"

"Maybe he's hoping we'll get too tired to fight him from this." Etna suggested.

"No, Kurtis is too proud for tricks like that," Gordon replied, "Flonne's right, this is his way of testing us."

The EDF soldiers, armed with electric battle axes, advanced on the group. One of them swung at Laharl, aiming for the neck.

The axe-head broke off without a second thought.

EDF squad stared at the now blade-less axe handle. Then at the axe-head lying at Laharl's feet. Then at Laharl. Laharl grinned.

"…Eep…" The soldier in question said.

Taking advantage of the EDF squad's stupor, Laharl and the others attacked, except for Jennifer, who hung back, looking at her feet.

("My fault…") She thought unhappily, ("It's all my fault…")

She was so out of it that she didn't see the axe-head fly past her head.

Back in the throng, Laharl took out the last recruits with Blade Rush.

"Come on," Laharl said, "Let's get that rival!"

A gunshot rang out, and Laharl flinched. Someone had shot him in the arm. Looking up, he saw a pair of EDF recruits staring down at him, holding out guns. With a growl, he incinerated them with a fireball.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

High on a hill, Archangel Vulcanus looked to the earth and heavens, watching the EDF's actions with sadistic glee.

"Dance for me, you foolish humans," He grunted, "You'll save me the trouble of dealing with both Flonne and the Overlord. Ingenious, if I do say so myself…" Vulcanus allowed himself a dark smile. "All that remains is that spineless Seraph. Once I get rid of him, I will be the one and only!! Humans! Demons! Angels! I will be the god of all!!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Flonne shuddered. What was that…? The rest of the group noticed this.

"What's wrong?" Etna asked, "You're acting weird."

Flonne looked around. "…I felt an evil presence."

"Was it General Carter?" Asked Gordon, "Or maybe Kurtis?"

"No…" Flonne was beginning to look ill, "It wasn't human. Something more terrifying…"

Laharl stared at Flonne for a good long minute, noticing just how upset Flonne had become. For some reason, he didn't like that. At last he said, "It's hard to believe that there's something more evil than me… Are you sure you're not imaging things?"

"…Maybe it's just me." Flonne said after a minute.

"…Come on," Laharl said after a minute, "We're almost there."

As the group moved on, Flonne couldn't help but notice how…down…Jennifer was acting. It was as if someone had showed her that the Santa Claus at the mall was just a guy in a costume, and the beard was fake. Like her world had crumbled aroun her.

"Miss Jennifer has been really depressed lately…" Flonne commented.

"I wonder who's fault that is." Etna said slyly, and all eyes(Except for Jennifer's) turned to Gordon.

"Don't look at me like that!" Gordon said, flustered.

"You should apologize." Flonne suggested.

Gordon, a little uneasy, nodded. "Y-yeah," Walking up next to Jennifer, he said, "Ummmmm, Jennifer… Well, you see…"

"…It's all my fault."

"What?"

"I could have stopped them, but I didn't," Jennifer continued, more to herself than anyone in particular. "I knew what was happening, but I kept denying it… If only… If only I was stronger…"

Incredibly confused about this bizarre confession, Gordon asked, "W-what do you mean, Jennifer? What are you talking about?"

Jennifer didn't reply. Suddenly, Laharl whipped out his sword.

"Who's there!?" He yelled, his eyes darting.

There was a crunch of small pebbles being stepped on, and everyone looked to see Kurtis stroll out from behind a large rock.

"Well done, Overlord," Kurtis said, "I thought I had completely masked my presence."

Laharl relaxed a little at the praise. "You too. Getting this close without me noticing."

"It's an honor to hear such praise from you," Kurtis replied, "My purpose was to settle things with Gordon, but now you've caught my attention."

Laharl grinned. "Heheh… And what have you got in mind?"

Kurtis shrugged. "Hmph… You ask the obvious. Mano-a-mano! We shall speak with our fists."

Kurtis rocketed at Laharl, punch ready to be thrown. Laharl swung his sword down, just barely missing Kurtis as he halted his charge. Kurtis swung a rocket-powered kicked at Laharl, who caught the blow and gave Kurtis a Burning Knuckle.

Boom!

Kurtis was flung against a block, but after he slid down, got up and dusted himself off.

"Hmph… Not bad." Kurtis remarked.

Laharl, however, wasn't so amused. "What's wrong? Why are you holding back?"

"I'm ready to get serious, but I don't want to injure the VIP." Kurtis replied.

Gordon quickly looked around. "What? Who's he talking about?"

"H-has he fallen in love with me?" Flonne gasped, "How sweet…"

"Where'd you get that idea?" Etna asked, raising an eyebrow at Flonne.

Suddenly, a soft rumbling filled the air, as the terrain went up-and-down.

"What the!?" Gordon stumbled to keep his balance. "Why is the ground shaking!?"

A monstrous shadow fell over them. Looking up, Gordon cried, "Ahhhh! That's…!!"

"The Space Battleship Gargantua!!" He and Jennifer finished.

It was the mother of all space cruisers. Big enough to warrant its own zip code, while sleek enough to claim some maneuverability. And it was armed to the teeth, covered with cannons, missile launchers, and the like. It filled the skies, making even the largest demon suddenly feel very small by comparison.

**Space Battleship Gargantua**

"We will now begin a full-scale attack with over 2 million battleships," Kurtis announced, "But, before that…!"

Within the blink of an eye, Kurtis rushed the group, swooped Jennifer up, and returned to his previous spot.

"Ah!" Jennifer shrieked, thrown off by the event.

"Your father awaits you, Jennifer," Kurtis said evenly, even though his eyes were now ringing. "Come with me."

Gordon raised an eyebrow. "Father…?" He repeated, "I thought her parents passed away when she was a child…"

Jennifer looked at the ground, visibly upset.

"What, you didn't know?" Kurtis asked, "She is General Carter's foster child."

"What!?"

Jennifer sighed, and looked back at the group.

"…I'm sorry, Gordon," She said, "What Kurtis said is true. I was adopted by General Carter and raised as his child. He was a kind man. I always believed that he loved me…" Jennifer trailed off, remembering the day Carter taught her the EDF anthem. "But, that couldn't have been further from the truth… He raised me only so he could use me…"

"If you're going to complain about your father, Tell him yourself…" Kurtis cut in, "My orders are to simply bring you back alive."

Jennifer glanced sadly at Kurtis. "He wants to use me again…?" Jennifer let out a somber chuckle. "…Hahaha… It doesn't matter anymore…"

She was about to step towards Kurtis when…

"Wait!" Gordon cried, "Jennifer, don't go! You're the assistant of Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth, remember!? Have you forgotten our sworn duty!?"

Jennifer paused in her step.

"Um, didn't you dismiss her?" Etna asked.

"Shut up! Don't dig up the past! I retracted that!" Gordon yelled defensively. To Jennifer, he said, "Jennifer, it doesn't matter if you're Carter's daughter or not! As the assistant to the Defender of Earth, listen to your heart! What is right!? What do you believe in!? And what do you do right now!?"

"Gordon…" Jennifer eyes brightened up, and she began to turn back to the group. However, Kurtis gripped her arm.

"Enough talk," Kurtis said firmly. Nodding at the group, he said, "Gordon, Overlord… I'd like to settle this once and for all. If you want Jennifer back, then find a way aboard the Gargantua. Until then… See ya."

Kurtis punched Jennifer in the gut, knocking her out. As she fell over, Kurtis took her bridal-style and rocketed away, flying up to the Gargantua.

"Jennifer!!" Gordon cried, and ran after Kurtis. "Jenniferrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!"

**TO BE CONTINUED**

A/N: Whew! Things are getting crazy now! The EDF has made its move, putting all their eggs into one basket.

Carter: And those eggs will hatch into Humanity's survival! Muhahahaha!

A/n: How is starting a war between humans and demons supposed to make it easier for humanity to survive?

Carter: By wiping out the demons, of course! Anyway, it's not like we can live on Earth anymore. It's too polluted.

A/n: And you think the solution is to go somewhere else?

Carter: What's wrong with that?

A/N: Mass invasions tend to ruin the resale value of any real estate, y'know.

Carter: It's never failed on Earth, before. Going to a new place, and ripping control of it away from the natives… All part of the Earth explorers tradition.

A/n: And got the Earth where it is today.

Carter: Yes… Hey!

A/N: Anyway, please review, and tell me what you think. Please, I want to know. Anyway, there is no preview because Etna's busy, what with the invasion and all.


	13. War of the Netherworld, Part 2

Seraph Lamington stood over his fountain, looking down at the water. In the reflection, he saw the EDF's invasion work, strafing the Netherworld.

"This is a bit worrisome," Lamington remarked, "I never thought human intervention could cause such disorder…"

"Nor did I…"

"This may hinder our plans." Lamington said, thinking.

"Yes, indeed…"

Lamington heard the worry in the tone, and asked, "What is troubling you? Is there something else?"

"…I cannot believe that this is the work of humans alone. Someone must be pulling the strings."

The Seraph did not respond. He closed his eyes and thought about it.

"…Do you have an idea who it might be?"

"I think so…" Lamington admitted, "But, I cannot be certain…"

"I see… I will investigate the matter."

"But, if you strain yourself much more, you will…" Lamington began to say, but trailed off.

A chuckle. "That is of little concern. Compared to the ordeal they are enduring…"

Episode 13

War of the Netherworld

Part 2

"Dammit! Pesky humans!" Laharl yelled, as the castle shook around him.

True to Kurtis' words, the EDF's invasion began. What he neglected to mention was that it would begin on top of the Overlord's Castle. Luckily, whoever designed and constructed the castle had built it to last, as the structure did not collapse yet, even with the power of 2 million spaceships pounding away at it. At least, not yet…

"What do they want with the Netherworld, I wonder…" Flonne wondered aloud.

"Beats me," Etna shrugged, "I don't understand how humans think."

"I'm back!"

The trio turned to see Gordon enter the throne room. The Defender of Earth had a triumphant smile on his face.

"How'd it go, Gordon?" Laharl asked.

"Easy, as expected," Gordon grinned, "Using Thursday's navigation system, I was able to lock on to the Gargantua's coordinates."

Laharl nodded. "Good work. Now, we can board the ship directly."

"But still, I'm surprised you were able to find the coordinates," Etna commented, "You look about as smart as a rock."

"Well…" Gordon began, looking somewhat embarrassed. "It seems that Jennifer had already programmed them in."

"Miss Jennifer did?" Flonne asked, amazed, but in a sad way. "Then, did she expect this to happen?"

"…I guess so." Gordon shrugged uncomfortably, "But, she must've wanted to give her father the benefit of the doubt. That's probably why she never told me about it."

Flonne didn't have a response to that.

"Hey, who long are you planning on sitting around?" Laharl asked from the doorway, "We can't just let the humans have their way!" He raised a fist. "Let's go! I shall show those fools what happens when you pick a fight with an Overlord!"

"Yeah!" Flonne yelled, marching. "We'll show them!"

"That's right! I'm overwhelmed with hero's spirit!" Gordon yelled, following. "I'll save Jennifer, no matter what!!"

Etna giggled evilly. "This is getting interesting."

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

The Portal room had undergone a transformation in the face of the invasion. Well, not so much as a transformation, as a large thing that could just barely called a flying machine had been placed before the portal.

After Jennifer had been kidnapped, Laharl and the others had gathered up what pieces of Gordon's spaceship and, with Goleck's help, had constructed a landing craft for their infiltration of the Gargantua.

The rest of the vassals were lurking around, watching to see what would happen.

"'Modern science', they call it?" Gargo asked, staring at the craft. "I was completely astonished."

As Golleck screwed one last bolt into place, he said, "I want a plastic model of that battleship!"

"Me too!" Flonne giggled.

Meanwhile, Laharl and Gordon were checking up on the portal. Fiona, with Thursday's help, was making numerous adjustments to the swirling vortex.

"I have added the 'Gargantua' to the list of available destinations," Fiona told Laharl and Gordon, "It is exceptionally hard to connect a gate to moving objects, but I was able to do so, thanks to Thursday," She gave the super-robot a grateful nod. "Human technology is incredible."

"But of course. Haha!" Gordon laughed.

Laharl gave the Defender a sour look. "…You shut up."

Once everyone(That is, Laharl, Etna, Flonne, Gordon, and Thursday) were securely seated inside the landing craft, Gordon started the engine. The rockets on the back glowed, as the ship made pitiful sounds.

Goleck gave the ship a good whack with a wrench.

The resulting blast of fire pushed the ship towards the portal with such force that Fiona had to dive to avoid a collision.

As Laharl's group vanished into the blue vortex, Goleck cried, "Hey, it works!"

Fiona, her calm almost broken, asked, "Will it keep working?"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

The pride and terror of the EDF, the Gargantua, floated safely in the center of the armada, surrounded by a tight wall of lesser ships. It seemed silly for such a mammoth of a spaceship to be protected, but the truth was that the rest of the armada had arrived before the Gargantua, and the behemoth was in no hurry to rush out in front. However, with the rest of the EDF fleet all around it, there would be no way for any ship to get near it without warning from the front.

Thus, no one noticed when a blue vortex opened up in the sky and spat out something that just barely resembled a spaceship.

As the ship flew, or fell, towards the Gargantua, Laharl jumped out of the cockpit and onto the roof. The Overlord looked at the lesser EDF ships that now resembled a swarm of gnats.

Gnats…that fitted.

"Hmhmhm…!" Laharl chuckled evilly, "Foolish, weak humans! Feel the wrath of the Overlord!"

With and almighty roar, Laharl unleashed a blast of fireballs at the fleet. Then another blast, and another…

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Inside the Gargantua's bridge, klaxons sounded off as Laharl unleashed his fury on the rest of the fleet. Technicians moved at a blur, trying to process new information as it poured in.

"General Carter!" One technician cried, "Demons have commenced an attack!"

"Don't fret for even a moment." Carter ordered calmly, "Our armada is 2 million ships strong."

"B-but, our defensive fleet is being obliterated!" The techie cried frantically.

Carter felt his eyes bulge. "What!? What are the enemy's numbers!?"

"J-just one, sir!!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Outside, Laharl grabbed a large chunk of burning metal and _threw _it at another group of ships.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Despite the bridge's air conditioning, Carter began to sweat as more and more reports on Laharl's rampage came in.

"The 126th Brigade has been annihilated! All soldiers have retreated!!"

"The S.S. Olympus is taking ground! Admiral Jackson and his crew have abandoned ship!"

"The 782nd Brigade is out of commission! The 15th and 981st Brigades have request emergency assistance!"

Carter desperately searched his head for hair to pull out. "Ugh…!! This is a nightmare!!" He groaned, "Our armada is being wiped out by a single demon!? Impossible!! I heard nothing of this kind of strength!!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Landing back on the landing craft, Laharl grinned at the sight of the destruction he wrought.

"Looks like I took care of most of them." He remarked. Shaking his head, he said, "Hmph… What a weak bunch."

Etna looked up at the young Overlord and grinned. "You really pay attention to the details, giving them time to escape before destroying their ships."

Flonne giggled. "See? He's not devoid of love."

"S-shut up!" Laharl blustered, going red. "I just don't want to stink up the Netherworld with human corpses! I'm not…"

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP… Thursday interjected, HIGH ENERGY READING EMANATING FROM CANNON.

Gordon saw what Thursday was talking about.

"Everybody, look out!" He yelled, and pulled at the steering wheel.

The landing craft just barely avoided a beam of purple energy, fired by one of the larger blasters on the Gargantua. Luckily, this sudden evasive maneuver had the side effect of crashing onto the Gargantua.

"What was that?" Etna asked, pulling herself from the wreckage.

Flonne was pulled out by Laharl. Her eyes lit up when she saw the blaster.

"Is that their secret weapon!?" She cried, amazed.

"You imbecile!" Gordon yelled, "Now's not the time to be impressed!" Pointing at the blaster, he said, "That's the Astro Cannon, the EDF's ultimate weapon. Demon or angel, you won't escape a shot unscathed!"

To Laharl, that sounded like a challenge. "Hmph. Interesting."

Flonne saw the eager look on his face, and took hold of his shoulder before he went and did something macho.

"Didn't you hear what Mr. Gordon said?" She asked, "Let's just avoid the cannon for now."

"Whaaat!?" Etna pouted, "That's no fun!"

"Listen up, everyone!" Gordon yelled, ignoring Etna. "We have to find the entrance so we can sneak aboard!!" Looking up at the Gargantua, he declared, "Hang in there, Jennifer! I'll save you!! No matter what lies ahead, Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth, will fight to the end!"

Gordon would have gone on like that for a few moments longer, but another blast of cannon fire cut his speech off.

CAPTAIN. Thursday beeped.

"Hm? What is it Thursday?" Gordon asked, getting up from where he had dove for cover.

ACCORDING TO THE SCHIMATICS, THERE IS An ENTRANCE USED BY THE MANTENANCE WORKERS THAT WAY. Thursday explained, pointing in that direction.

"Hey, he's right," Etna noted, surprised. "I can see a door over there."

"Good job, Thursday!" Gordon congratulated.

But something about it bothered Laharl. "Wait, how come you have the blueprints for this rig?"

"Is it Miss Jennifer's doing again?" Flonne asked.

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP. NO. EVEN ROBOTS NEED READING MATERIAL.

Another boom caught their attention.

"Hey, how about we go inside and discuss this?" Etna asked sarcastically.

With no objections to that suggestion, the gang quickly, but carefully, scurried their way to the door("An Overlord doesn't scurry," Laharl insisted stubbornly, "They lurk."). Once there, Gordon grabbed the door's handle and pulled.

"Umf! Ergh!" He grunted, before stopping. "Wouldn't you know it? Locked."

"Let me try," Laharl suggested, and pushed Gordon aside. He pulled his fist back, sent the door flying several miles down the halls of the Gargantua.

"Well, it IS polite to knock before entering." Flonne commented, sweating.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"General Carter!"

"What now?" Carter moaned.

"Entryway 124235 has been compromised! What are your orders?"

"I'm busy, here!" Carter snapped, "Just send whoever's closest to deal with it!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"Papa… You're wrong, Papa… You must stop…! Please, Papa… Listen to me…!"

Jennifer departed from her dreams and memories, and woke to a world filled with darkness. It felt like she was lying on a table, with her hands and feet strapped down.

"…Where am I…?" She wondered aloud.

A dim lamp turned on, and Kurtis stood over her.

"Are you awake?" He asked.

"Kurtis…"

"Were you having a nightmare?" Kurtis asked, apparently concerned. "You were tossing and turning."

Jennifer didn't answer. Why was she bound like this…?

"…It doesn't matter," Kurtis decided after listening to her silence, "You won't have to worry about having those dreams anymore."

Kurtis held something up for Jennifer to see. She knew instantly what it was.

"K-kurtis!" She cried, "That thing in your hand…!" He wasn't going to do THAT, was he?

Kurtis nodded. "You guessed it. Very good, Professor," He smiled unpleasantly. "You must know what it does, then."

"Stop it, Kurtis!" Jennifer yelled, "You call yourself human!?"

"Do I?" Kurtis asked solemnly, "I lost 70% of my body, and something even more dear to me in an incident… Maybe I lost my sense of humanity at that time, too…" He glared down at Jennifer and said, "It's time to sleep. Sweet dreams…"

Jennifer screamed as best she could, as the anesthetic flowed into her…

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"Hm!? That scream!!"

In the Gargantua's Main Corridor, Gordon looked up. He and the rest of the group heard a dim wail echo throughout the ship's interior.

"It's Miss Jennifer!" Flonne realized.

Etna pointed. "It's coming from that way."

"Let's go!" Laharl yelled, and took off in a run. He didn't go far before a group of EDF soldiers barred the way.

"More humans…" He sighed, "They just don't learn, do they?"

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP… THEY ARE NOT HUMAN. LIFESIGNS 0.00000… Thursday announced.

Gordon quickly put himself at the head of the pack.

"Everyone, be careful!" He said, "These are super-human androids constructed by Kurtis!"

Laharl raised an eyebrow. "Super…"

"Human…" Etna considered.

"Androids?" Flonne asked, equally confused.

"That's right!" Gordon said, "Kurtis is a brilliant scientist, rivaling even Jennifer!! But, he's been conducting fearful research, all in the name of humanity!" Suddenly, a light bulb went on in his head. "Could that scream be…!? No! He's attempting to modify Jennifer!"

Laharl raised an eyebrow. "He's attempting…"

"To modify…" Etna considered.

"Jennifer?" Flonne asked, now worried.

_The demons quaked in fear as MECHA-JENNIFER, 52 thousand tons of pure, mechanized power, with huge…blasters, terrorized the Netherworld, leaving a trail of death and destruction in her wake._

"Hey! Stop imagining weird things!" Gordon yelled, "We have to save Jennifer!!"

"Uhh, right!" Laharl agreed, trying to shake the daydream out of his head. Taking out his sword, he yelled, "Dimensional Slash!" And unleashed a blade of pure demon power onto a third of the androids, slicing them in two.

"Sexy Beam!" Etna yelled, firing purple energy.

"Holy Arrows!" Flonne cried, releasing a flurry of white feathers.

The energy beams and white feathers intermixed, destroying another third of the androids.

"Bullet Storm!" Gordon yelled, and fired a series of blasts from his gun. When the androids stood back up, Thursday charged at them, spinning wildly.

ROBO-ATTACK. The robot declared, and smashed the last third of the androids to pieces.

"C'mon!" Laharl yelled, and the group charged down the hall.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"General Carter! We have identified the intruders!" A technician yelled.

"Who is it!?" Carter barked.

"It…It's Captain Gordon and Thursday! And they're being aided by demons!"

"What!?" Carter was furious, but he forced himself to be calm. "Open a communications channel with them!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP… Thursday said, CAPTAIN GORDON, INCOMING MESSAGE FROM GENERAL CARTER.

The rest of the group whirled around to look at Thursday.

"From Carter!?" Gordon cried. Calming down, he said, "Okay, Thursday, open a communication channel."

The hologram of Carter materialized from Thursday. Carter did not look too pleased. But then he smiled.

"Carter!!" Gordon yelled.

Carter laughed evilly. "Muhahahaha!! You're being a sore loser, Gordon."

"Of course!" Gordon declared, "I can't let a villain like you win, for the sake of Earth! I swear by the name 'Defender of Earth', Carter! I will defeat you!!"

Carter shook his head. "You just don't get it, do you? This invasion IS for the sake of Earth."

"What!?"

"As you know, the Earth is confronting a serious crisis," Carter explained, "The boom in population, the rise in crime, the shortage of natural resources… The human race can't survive much longer. It would require an astronomical budget merely to find a new home for the people of Earth," He grinned. "That's why taking over the Netherworld is such a simple and economical solution!"

Laharl nodded. "Hmmm… Your efforts are admirable. You'd make a great demon. But, there wouldn't be a crisis in the first place if you humans weren't so stupid. As the Overlord of the Netherworld, let me say just one thing…" Laharl's eyes turned red, and he boomed, "Clean up your own damn mess!!"

Carter fumed at being told off like that. "Ugh…! You foul-mouthed little runt…!"

"I have something to add to that!" Gordon cut in, "General Carter, I am beyond angry!" Taking a deep breath, The Defender of Earth yelled, "Give back my Jennifer, Chrome-dome!!"

Carter shook with rage. Now he was getting insulted by his subordinate! "Why you…! If you can't play nice…then neither will I! I'll crush you for the sake of Earth's future! Prepare yourselves!"

Carter's hologram vanished as he cut the connection.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"I want all available personal to the Main corridor, sector 19!" Carter yelled into an intercom, "You are to use deadly force, I repeat, you are to use DEADLY FORCE!" Setting back into his seat, he chuckled darkly. "Hah, let's see how they like an army of androids… Chrome-dome, indeed…"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

While no one in Laharl's group liked the 'army of androids', that did not stop them from continuing their assault on the Gargantua. The androids did not slow or stop the attack as they merely distracted the attackers that were paying attention, a division that was limited to Flonne and Etna. Gordon, secretly grateful he wouldn't have to harm several dozen unwitting soldiers, easily powered through, while Laharl just didn't really care either way(Or so he claimed).

After smashing through several squads of androids, the group came to a large room, a sort of cross road in the Gargantua. And standing in the center of it was…

"Kurtis!!" Gordon cried, halting with the rest of the party.

"Glad you could make it, Gordon," Kurtis greeted calmly, "I knew hordes of security guards wouldn't be enough to stop you."

There was a tense pause as both sides regarded each other.

"I thought you might like to know…" Kurtis said, "It's been 5 years since I lost my wife and daughter… And with them, my soul…"

Laharl stared at Kurtis. "Hey, he's giving us his life story." He said irritably.

"Should we…attack now?" Etna asked, a bit confused.

"No, we have to listen!" Flonne insisted, "The rival always has a tragic past."

Kurtis glared at the trio. "…May I continue?"

"Oh, please, by all means." Flonne replied, smiling pleasantly.

Determined to get back on track, Kurtis continued. "As I was saying… It's been 5 years since I lost my wife and daughter… And with them, my soul…

"Back then, I was a top scientist, burning with a passion to save the Earth… If it wasn't for that faithful incident…"

Gordon felt something nag at the back of his mind. "Five years ago…?"

"As a result of the explosion in the lab, I lost my family and 70% of my body," Kurtis went on, "A group of anti-space development terrorists were to blame…"

Gordon suddenly remembered. A band of radicals who were against humanity's growing interest in space had bombed one of the leading space centers.

"You mean your wife and daughter were victims of that incident!?" Gordon asked, horrified. No wonder Kurtis was so introverted!

"That's right…" Kurtis said, glaring at Gordon. "You caught the culprits, but what comfort would that be to me?" His tone grew more forceful. "I swore to my wife and child! Since the Defender of Earth couldn't do his job, I would take his place!" Kurtis took off his gloves to reveal his hands were actually gauntlets, painted metallic black. "And I became a cyborg to do just that! What good is the Defender of Earth if he can't save innocent people!? A true defender would do anything in his power to save as many people as possible! I can't accept anything less! I will defeat you, Gordon! And claim the title of true Defender of Earth! That is the only path left to me!"

"So that's it…" Gordon said, "I didn't know you had such a past, Kurtis. It was all due to my failings… Forgive me." Gordon's eyes hardened, and he pointed. "But, what you are doing right now, Kurtis, is not the right way!"

"What!?" Kurtis yelled incredulously, "I'm fighting for the sake of humanity!!"

"Invading the Netherworld might save the Earth…" Gordon pointed out, "But it would require many sacrifices! Is that what you want!? Is that really for the sake of Earth!? You should know best what it feels like to be a victim, Kurtis! What will your wife and daughter think, up in heaven?"

Kurtis flinched.

"I am the Defender of Earth!" Gordon proclaimed, standing erect. "My duty is to right what is wrong! Even if it means that I must face a comrade-in-arms!" He took out his gun and pointed. "I don't want to fight you, but this is for your own good!" Gordon charged at Kurtis. "Here I come, Comrade!! Behold the true spirit of a defender!!"

Kurtis grunted, and pointed his right fist at the advancing Gordon.

"Rocket Punch!"

Kurtis' fist blasted off his wrist, becoming a fist-shaped missile. Gordon just barely dodged the projectile and fired several rounds. Kurtis blocked the shots with his left hand, and then fired it at Gordon. This one knocked Gordon's gun out of his hand, but the Defender didn't slow down. Uppercutting Kurtis, Gordon jumped into the air, and pulled Kurtis into a piledriver.

"Gordon Spark!"

New hands reloaded into Kurtis' wrists, allowing the cyborg to catch him and Gordon, halting the piledriver. Kicking Gordon away, Kurtis fired several Rocket Punches at Gordon.

"Final Punch!"

Gordon got struck by the onslaught once or twice, but he used his jet pack to rocket above most of them. Flying down at Kurtis, he yelled, "Gordon Punch!" And slugged Kurtis in the jaw.

Back at the entrance, the trio and Thursday watched the duel with surprising amounts of interest.

"Huh, Gordon wasn't doing stuff like that in your duel, Prince," Etna commented, "What changed?"

Laharl smirked. "It's all thanks to the vassal-training I put him through, of course!"

Etna wondered what training was being mentioned, and came to the conclusion that being the only vassal to do Laharl's biding must count as exercise, somehow.

Flonne, however, had a different idea. "No, a true hero's power comes out when his feelings are burning brightest!" Her eyes ignited. "Isn't it cool!?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Etna then heard a clunk from behind. "Prince?"

"What?"

"What was that?"

"Probably an android."

Thursday looked behind Etna and beeped, CORRECT.

"Geez…" Etna whipped out the Vile Brilliance, and without even looking, jabbed it behind her. There was a metallic ripping noise, and when Etna pull back her spear, found an android head on the spear end.

"Pitiful." She sighed, tossing the head away.

Back in the duel, Gordon was about to hit Kurtis with another punch when the cyborg removed his hands to reveal gun barrels in his forearms.

"Nuclear Fusion!" yelled Kurtis, and great balls of fire blasted forth from his arms. Gordon quickly found himself fleeing for life.

"What do I do now!?" Gordon muttered frantically when he tripped over something. This was all Kurtis needed. As the cyborg took aim, Gordon realized what he had tripped over. It was his gun! Working quickly, Gordon fired several rounds…into the air.

"Pathetic." Kurtis muttered, powering up a Nuclear Fusion to end all Nuclear Fusions, when a piece of the ceiling fell on his head.

"Now's my chance!" Gordon cried, and rushed at Kurtis. "Gordon Blitz!"

Gordon unleashed a series of hard punches and kicks onto Kurtis, finishing the cyborg off with a mighty kick. Kurtis flew back and crashed into a some live wires released by his earlier usage of the Rocket Punch. By the time he stopped jolting horribly, he found the party standing over him, with a grim look on the defender's face.

"W-well done…" Kurtis managed to say, "You've…proven me wrong… I felt the true defender spirit…the strength of your determination…even in this mechanical body… I lost… Now, finish me…"

"Okay." Laharl shrugged, and raised his sword.

Etna got the Vile Brilliance out. "We'll kill you in one painless blow." She winked.

Flonne, however, held them back. "You can't!" She insisted.

Gordon, to his part, smiled, and held out his hand to Kurtis. "Kurtis, our battle has already ended. You tried to do what you thought was right. It's just that your sorrow drove you to do it in the wrong way…" Gordon bent down and stood Kurtis up. "That's why I want you to fight by my side, as a comrade… How about it?"

Somewhere deep inside of Kurtis' cold, robotic shell, an immaterial thing he once called a soul felt Gordon's kindness.

"Gordon…" Kurtis murmured, realizing for the first time why Captain Gordon was the Defender of Earth.

"I could use a skilled person like you as one of my vassals." Laharl commented thoughtfully.

Kurtis grinned. "Heh… The Overlord's vassal… That doesn't sound too bad," Kurtis then slid back down onto the floor. "But… It seems that my body needs to recharge… I must sleep for a while…" As Kurtis slipped into unconsciousness, he managed to say, "Gordon… Be careful of… Jennifer…"

"Kurtis!" Gordon cried, but it was too late. The cyborg was now unreachable, snoring silently. "Be careful of Jennifer…? What could he mean by that?" He wondered aloud.

Laharl thought about it. "Be careful…"

Etna squinted in thought. "Of…"

Flonne began to sweat. "Jennifer…?"

"…Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Laharl asked slowly.

Etna had the same thought. "Modification?"

Flonne nodded, also having the same idea. "…Modification."

_The demons quaked in fear as MECHA-JENNIFER, 52 thousand tons of pure, mechanized power, with huge…blasters, terrorized the Netherworld, leaving a trail of death and destruction in her wake._

"…Will you three grow up already?" Gordon asked irritably.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Leaving Kurtis hidden behind a pile of android remains, the group hurried on. Within minutes they arrived at the bridge of the Gargantua. However, the room was empty, save for Carter. The technicians had opted to abandon ship, upon seeing the Overlord's crew lay waste to their guards.

"We've finally got you cornered, Carter!" Gordon yelled, "Release Jennifer, now!"

In his command terminal, Carter looked down at the group and smirked. "…As you wish."

Suddenly, a form stepped out from the shadows, facing the group.

"Jennifer!!" Gordon cried.

But the trio noted that there was something different about Jennifer…

"…Hey." Laharl said.

"…Uh-huh?" Etna asked.

"…That's not what I expected." Laharl commented.

"…Me neither." Etna agreed.

_The demons quaked in fear as MECHA-JENNIFER, 52 thousand tons of pure, mechanized power, with huge…blasters, terrorized the Netherworld, leaving a trail of death and destruction in her wake..._

"Hey! You call THIS a modification!?" Flonne whined, pointing.

There was absolutely nothing different about Jennifer now than there had been before…except for the metal headband she now wore, wit the EDF logo in the middle. Very anti-climactic, after all that speculation.

"Muhahahaha!!" Carter laughed, mistaking disappointment for fear. "So, you found out about it, eh? That's right! I have installed a neural override device!"

Flonne, avid sci-fi and anime fan that she was, had trouble picking up the meaning of the phrase. "Neural…override?" She asked, cocking her head.

"Exactly!" Carter gloated, "Jennifer is now my puppet!" Pointing, he ordered, "Jennifer! Go defeat Gordon!"

Without a word, or any other reaction, Jennifer slowly marched towards Gordon.

"Hahahahaha!!" Gordon laughed, in a good-natured sort of way. "This must be a joke! I, the Defender of Earth, could never lose to such a delicate creature!"

Gordon moved forward, but didn't go three paces before Jennifer attacked…and how. Faster than he could see, Jennifer delivered a series and lightning-quick punches and kicks, knocking him back with a solid punch to the gut.

"Owwwwwwwwww…" Gordon moaned, clutching his stomach. What happened?

Etna shook her head. "Geez, you're weak…"

Laharl was bit more sympathetic. But not too much. "Gordon…" He said, "Maybe you're not cut out to be a hero."

Carter laughed evilly. "What do you think of that!? Jennifer is a master of the ancient martial art, Kung Fu!"

Gordon forgot about his pain in the face this revelation. "What!? I never knew that!!"

Carter smirked. "You never asked."

"That explains it," Gordon admitted, frowning. "So, what am I supposed to do? No way I can use my full fighting potential against Jennifer!" He wanted to rescue Jennifer, not injure her!

"You'd lose anyways, man." Etna pointed out.

Laharl quickly thought of a solution. "How about we just blow up the entire ship?"

"Oh no you don't!" Flonne told him, "I already claimed this ship!"

Laharl began to sweat. "I-I see… Well, so much for that idea…"

"Captain, Gordon, Defender of Earth, facing his greatest challenge ever…!!" Gordon said uneasily. How could he win without hurting Jennifer?

"How pathetic, Gordon!! What happened to that spirit you were bragging about!?"

There was the sound of a miniature rocket launching, and Kurtis leapt out from the back and in front of Gordon, facing Jennifer.

"Kurtis!! You're better already!?" Gordon asked, amazed.

Kurtis smirked. "Hmph… Your voice woke my heart up to the ideals I forgot long ago." Holding out his arm to bar the way, he said, "Stand aside…! Let me show you MY defender spirit!"

Carter gritted his teeth. "Jennifer! Kill that traitor first!"

With an inhuman growl, Jennifer lashed out and punched Kurtis, who blocked against. As Jennifer leapt back for another attack, Kurtis prepared to launch a rocket punch, only for Jennifer to punch again. The force of the blow halted the Rocket Punch, forcing Kurtis back.

"Gordon…!" Kurtis said, trading blows with Jennifer. "You called me a comrade…! I…I looked up to you… That's why I became a scientist in the first place… Funny, isn't it?" Kurtis smiled humorlessly. "How did things end up like this? If only I had realized sooner…" Kurtis shook his head. "No… It's enough that I realized it in the end. I bet their smiling down on me from heaven…"

Carter growled. "Jennifer! Stop wasting your time with that miserable traitor!" Carter glared down at the party and yelled, "Curse you all!! I'll just blow you up and Jennifer, too!" Pulling out a box with a big red button on it, he said, "In case of an event like this, I planted a bomb inside the neural override device!" Pressing the button, he laughed evilly. "Muhahahahaha!! Now, die!"

Jennifer froze, and an eerie beeping resonated from the headband.

But Kurtis wasn't scared. "I made that device! And I know its weakness!"

Jennifer's headband beep faster, and her body began to glow. It was at that moment that Kurtis rushed forward and grabbed the headband.

"Jennifer!" the cyborg yelled, "I can't let you die here!"

Kurtis pushed the EDF logo, and pulled the headband off, pushing Jennifer away. However, he couldn't stop the bomb in time, so he jumped in the air, just as the explosion happened.

"Kurtiiiiiiisssssssssss!!" Gordon yelled, and rushed over to where Kurtis' beaten and broken body had landed. What was left it, at least. Only half of his upper torse, his right shoulder, and head survived the explosion.

"Hey Gordon…" Kurtis said weakly, "Do you think I could ever be a true Defender of Earth?"

"Yeah…!" Gordon said, haltingly, trying to block the tears. "Yeah! Of course you could be!!" Gordon paused to wipe some 'glass in his eye', and then said, "What am I saying… You ARE a true Defender of Earth!!"

Kurtis smirked sadly. "Heh… Thanks, Gordon… I won't forget the defender spirit…you showed…me…"

Kurtis' eyes went blank, the machinery in his remains slowed to a halt, just like Thursday's did before. But Gordon knew that there would be no miracles this time.

"I should be the one thanking you…" Gordon said solemnly. Standing up, Gordon saluted his fallen comrade. "…Kurtis. You be known as the 38th Defender of Earth."

From behind, Laharl looked to the heavens and said, "Heed my words, Death. I command you in the name of King Laharl," Kurtis may have been the enemy, but he had earned a demon's respect. And that deserved something. "Lead the soul of Kurtis, Defender of Earth, to his family's side…"

Kurtis' body glowed for a moment, and bright white ball floated from it and into the heavens.

"Prince…" Etna murmured. She had a feeling she knew why Laharl did that.

"Laharl…" Flonne murmured. Did Laharl feel sorry for Kurtis, who had lost his family, just as Laharl lost his mother?

"…Don't say a word," Laharl said firmly, "As the Overlord of the Netherworld, I was just playing homage to a true hero. That's all…"

Flonne nodded. "Yes… I understand." And she did.

Gordon, meanwhile, glared up at Carter. "Carter! I'll never forgive you!!"

Carter gasped. Of everything that had gone wrong, this was the limit. Now what could he do? He couldn't fight Gordon!

"Wait, Gordon!" A light voice cried out. Jennifer had gotten up from where Kurtis had shoved her and stepped up to the Defender.

"Jennifer!" Gordon cried, "You're back to normal!?"

Jennifer nodded. "Yes, I was conscious the entire time I was being controlled… Because of me, Kurtis…"

"He did what he thought was right," Gordon said, "I'm sure he has no regrets… And now, his spirit will burn brightly in your heart."

Jennifer couldn't help but smile. "Yeah… You're right."

Frowning, Gordon took hold of Jennifer's shoulders. "Jennifer, you are no longer my assistant," He said firmly. "Fight alongside me as an equal…as a Defender of Earth!!"

Jennifer nodded. "…Thank you, Gordon," She said, smiling. "I understand. Let's forget about the past, and concentrate on the present." She looked up and glared at Carter.

"w-wait, Jennifer!" Carter said frantically, "I'm your father! Have you forgotten everything that I've done for you!?"

"No, I haven't," Jennifer answered, "If you hadn't taken me in back then, I might not be here today… I loved you, and believed in you…" She then frowned. "But, we were never a true family to begin with… You raised me only so you could manipulate me! I'll never call you 'Father' again! Prepare yourself, Carter!"

Carter glared down at Jennifer and Gordon. "Tch…! You ungrateful little…!" Then, Carter realized that he had one last gambit. While the EDF had run out of weapons to use on Laharl's group, there was one last thing he could do. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small bell. "That's it! Die!!" He roared, and gave the bell a ring.

Suddenly, there were soft beams of light all over the bridge. When the beams had receded, the bridge now included many elegantly dressed warriors, with focused but soft expressions on their faces.

They were not human.

They were not demon.

They were angels. And they were standing before Carter against the party.

"A Celestial Host!?" Flonne cried, "Why…!? Why are angels helping HIM…!?"

"Apparently, someone's been pulling strings from behind the scenes." Laharl decided.

"Celestia's involved, huh?" Etna grinned sardonically, "It just keeps getting better and better, Prince."

Flonne fell to her knees in shock. "It can't be…" She said, horrified. "Is this the will of the Seraph…?"

"Get them!" Carter yelled, and the angels launched themselves at Laharl's group. The group quickly fought back, save for Flonne, who hung back, transfixed.

"What are you doing? Stop!" Flonne cried out, though not even she knew which side she was talking to.

In the fight, an angel and Thursday began to wrestle over a spear the angel had. Thursday flung the angel aside, but he responded by knocking the robot down with a wind spell. Meanwhile, Jennifer kicked one up in the air, delivering a solid punch as it landed.

"Star Buster!" She yelled.

Laharl used his Blade Rush on several, while Etna blasted a few with her Sexy Beam. Gordon kept shooting at them, using the Totenkreuz setting on his gun to shoot fireballs.

"Please, stop!" Flonne begged, but the fighting continued.

For a brief moment, it looked like Laharl's side would win, but one angel hanging back performed a healing spell, restoring the rest of the Celestial Host to full power. The fight went on again, each side going at it harder than before.

"I said…STOP!!" Flonne screamed, and raised the Staff of Sorcery into the air. Power flowed through her, and her tiny, cute wings grew into tremendously large and elegant wings. Rising into the air, she yelled, "Divine Ray!" And fired a pure white beam of energy at the Celestial Host. Everyone was amazed.

"Flonne…?" Laharl asked, wondering what happened to the Love Freak all of a sudden.

The Divine Ray blasted the Celestial Host back, knocking them all out. As they faded away, everyone noticed Carter tip-toeing towards the door.

"Muhahahahaha! You may have foiled my plans this time, but I'm not through yet!" Carter laughed.

"Wait, Carter!!" Gordon yelled, running forward.

"Muhahahahaha!!" Carter laughed, hitting a secret button on the wall. "Farewell!"

A trapdoor opened up, and Carter went down. The passageway closed up before anyone could do anything. Suddenly, the ship began to jerk and groan. It was descending!

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

In a secret escape ship accessible only through a special route, Carter flew away from the falling Gargantua.

"I don't believe it…!" Carter gritted, "Demons are that powerful…!? His information was completely wrong! Damn him…! Was he trying to drive humanity into extinction from the beginning…?"

"Who is 'he'?"

Carter jumped in his seat. In the seat next to him was a demon dressed in leather with long purple hair.

"W-who are you!?" Carter gulped.

Mid-Boss ignored that question and said, "No matter how advanced your technology is, it's imposible to infiltrate the Netherworld without help. Now answer, who is behind this?"

Carter began to sweat. "I-I can't…"

Mid-Boss leaned forward and gave Carter a big friendly smile. "…If you do not say, I will kill you."

Carter gulped. Putting it that way… "It, it's a man with white wings!" Cornered in his own escape ship, Carter fell back on the negotiating tactic used by all men in a tight spot; Groveling. "I'm innocent! I-I just wanted to save the Earth!"

"…I see," Mid-Boss said, pulling back. "Foolish human. You cannot save the Earth. How do you intend to save all of mankind, when you cannot even save your daughter?"

Mid-Boss got up, and walked over to the hatch. Opening it up, he began to climb out, but not before looking back at Carter one more time.

"You have sacrificed the lives of others to satisfy your own ego," Mid-Boss said, "Until you realize that…you will be plagued by nightmares. We will be watching you."

Mid-Boss leapt out of the ship, leaving Carter to his quivering. As he flew away, the sassy demon thought, ("Oh… Why am I so awesome?")

Then a large piece of metal hit him.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Meanwhile, with the fall of the Gargantua, the invasion of the Netherworld officially ended. The EDF forces that had not been obliterated by Laharl quickly retreated back to Earth through the space-rift, which soon closed up.

In the Gargantua's bridge, Captain Gordon, Defender of Earth, looked up to the starry sky.

"Thank you Kurtis… I will never forget you." Gordon said, "I swear to you that I will fight with both our strength for the sake of humanity! No… Not just for humanity! For every living creature!!"

"I will too, Kurtis…" Jennifer said, "You saved my life. I shall repay you be dedicating it to world peace…and to prevent others from becoming victims like you and your family."

As the group remained silent, Flonne found herself stepping away. Why were angels helping the humans? It was true that angels and demons were normally enemies, but this time it was the demons who were being wronged. Weren't angels supposed to help those in need, and do good? Why would any side with a man as evil as Carter?

Laharl looked to the Angel Trainee, confused at her silence. "Flonne…?"

"…I'm going back to Celestia." Flonne said suddenly.

"What…!?" Laharl couldn't get it. Flonne was going back now, after all this time? Why!? And why was he so upset at that!?

"I must return to find out the Seraph's true intentions!" Flonne said firmly, marching towards the door. There was no going around it. The answer to the EDF's invasion lay with Celestia, and in Celestia, with Seraph Lamington.

Outside, a purple rose caught on fire…

Episode 13

War of the Netherworld

Part 2

**End**

A/n: Another one down…and this is the biggie.

Mid-Boss: Why did I have to be hit? Now I have an ugly bump!

A/n: You'll heal. Rule of cartoons, no one stays hurt for long. Anyway, I gave Flonne the Staff of Sorcery for that particular scene with the Divine Ray. Hope you like it.

Mid-Boss: Is that it? Interesting. And I can't help but notice how you seem to use flowers a great deal as forshadowing… But I did not know such beauty bloomed in the Netherworld.

A/n: Then where do you get YOUR rose?

Mid-Boss: Uh… That's a secret!

A/N: I'm sure it is. Anyway, let's see what's next, Etna!

Mid-Boss: Why do you bother? She never does it right, you know.

A/N: It's funny. Now, Etna!

-Episode 14 Preview-

Etna: Seems like one problem leads to another! We found out that the humans were being manipulated by the angels! Now, Flonne wants to return to Celestia and to go face to face with the Seraph himself! What awaits her there? Will the Archangel's true intent be finally revealed!? Next on _Disgaea: Hour of Darkness_, Final Episode: _What Lies Beyond the Battle_! The fate of the Netherworld is in your hands...

Laharl: Th, This must be a dream...

Flonne: Etna's acting all serious...

Gordon: Could this be a sign of terrible things to come?

Jennifer: It's the end of the world!

Thursday: END OF THE WORLD - DANGER DANGER DANGER...

Prinny Squad: Dooooood! Everybody, run!!

Etna: ...They're gonna get it.


	14. What Lies Beyond the Battle

_After learning that Celestia was behind the incident with the Earth Defense __Force, I made up my mind to go back to Celestia to ask the Seraph about it directly._

_The Netherworld. Celestia. The human world._

_I never imagined that this war, which involved the entire universe, would come to such an unexpected end..._

"…Your mind's made up?" Laharl asked.

Across from him stood Flonne, looking more determined than he had ever seen her. All around him he knew the rest of his vassals were watching the conversation from various points in the Overlord's throne room, but he didn't care.

"Yes," Flonne answered, "I must speak with the Seraph and find out what has been happening in Celestia…"

"Do you realize that you may have to face him as an enemy?" Laharl asked, not taking his eyes off of Flonne's.

Flonne's eyes wavered. "Face Master Lamington as my enemy…?"

"He's the head of Celestia, right?" Etna asked from the corner, "We know that someone in Celestia has been helping the EDF. He must have known about it."

Jennifer nodded. "I agree. I think it's very possible that he's even the mastermind."

When Flonne didn't answer, Laharl asked, "Wasn't he the one who ordered you to go to the Netherworld in the first place? …To assassinate my old man?"

"What?!" Gordon cried, "An angel ordering and assassination? That's just wrong! He's guilty, without a doubt!!"

Flonne's stupor broke. "No, he's not!" She yelled.

"Can you say that for sure?" Laharl pressed, not flinching.

Flonne was silent for moment before saying, "…I believe in Master Lamington."

Laharl said nothing. If Flonne went into Celestia with that kind of hopeless attitude, then…

"…I see." He grinned. "Alright, then. Let's get going."

Flonne cocked her head. What did he mean by that?

"It's a good opportunity for me to check out this so-called Seraph," Laharl explained, looking away. "I'm going with ya."

"Laharl…" Flonne smiled.

"Geez, Prince, why don't you just admit it?" Etna asked, before putting on a sickeningly sweet smile and talking in a baby-voice. "'I'm worried about Flonne, so I'm gonna go with her!'" Talking normally, she asked, "What's so hard about that, huh?"

Laharl's head did a magnificent impersonation of a tomato, as he blustered, "F-fool! That's far from the truth…!"

"Now, now," Jennifer intervened, smiling. "We all feel the same way, Harlie."

"Jennifer's right," Gordon said, "As the Defender of Earth, I cannot let my comrade go alone."

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP… Thursday put in, WE ARE COMRADES. WE GO TOGETHER. END OF DISCUSSION.

"…Hmph," Laharl muttered, turning around and heading towards the door. "Bunch of fools."

"Everybody…" Flonne said, and the gang looked to her. "…Thank you."

Final Episode

What Lies Beyond the Battle

With their minds made up, the party headed towards the portal room. As they were leaving the throne room, they met with Dratti.

"You've changed a lot," She remarked, "Doing things for the sake of others."

"Sh-shut up!" Laharl snapped, his cheeks reddening. "I only do things for my own sake!" He glared at the rest of the gang, who were grinning. "Got it!?"

"Sure, Prince…" They said, but their tones suggested they had other ideas.

While walking down the corridor to the portal room, they overheard Goleck talking to another demon.

"…The Prinnies were talking about 'multiple endings'…" He was saying.

"Huh?" Laharl muttered, passing by. "Endings to what?"

As Laharl pondered that, they encountered Manty.

"You're going to Celestia, I hear. Bring back some gifts for us!" the Mantacore grinned.

Laharl scowled. "Idiot. It's not a vacation."

Now feeling really annoyed, Laharl began to stomp as he walked, and would have kept on doing so if it weren't for Gargo.

"So, if humans can come here," Gargo mused, "That means we can go there, right?" And by 'There' he meant the human world, Earth.

This drew Laharl's attention away from his annoyance as he thought about it. "Hmm… Now that you mention it…"

His train of thought was interrupted by Etna and Flonne, who picked him from under his arms and carried him off.

"We're dealing with the angels first, remember?" Etna told him cheekily.

"I know that, lemme go!" Laharl groused, struggling to get free. After Etna and Flonne dropped him, Ghoss floated up to him.

"At last, the final battle." The Ghost said solemnly, "I'll give you a worthy present.

Ghoss handed Laharl a sword. It was unique in that there seemed to be two blades coming up out of the hilt. These blades were saw-like, like the jaws of a great beast. But these teeth faced away from each other.

"Have a nice trip." Ghoss said, and floated away.

"Whoa… That's the Diabolic Sword!" Etna cried, her eyes widening.

"Hm? Is that important?" Gordon asked.

"It's one of the most famous swords of the Netherworld," Etna explained, "How did he get it? If I had it, I woulda sold it lived like a queen!"

"Idiot," Laharl said, "The Diabolic Sword isn't a get-rich quick scheme. It's a weapon for only the most eminent of demons. Hmhmh…" He gave the Sword a practice swing. "I can't wait to use it in battle…"

"If you go to Celestia with that kind of attitude, you won't have to wait long." Flonne said, feeling a little uneasy at Laharl's eager look.

Soon the group entered the portal room.

Zommie, standing by the entrance to the hospital, said, "What will happen in the end, Prince? I can't wait to find out!"

Laharl ignored him.

The intrepid band finally reached the portal. Fiona had a bandage on her head, a souvenir from the EDF's invasion.

"A gate that connects Celestia and the Netherworld…" She said softly, hearing the request. After she had tuned the portal to where they needed to be sent, she said, "Prince… be careful…"

But Laharl wasn't worried. He was the Overlord! What could go wrong?

Flonne was worried. Too much intrigue and deceit was coming from Celestia. What could be the reason?

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

The portal placed Laharl's group in front of a large, magnificent stone doorway. It was like a bronze monolith, with strange archaic runes carved into the framework.

"So," Laharl said, looking up at the mammoth structure. "This is the entrance to Celestia…"

Flonne nodded. "It is said that one of the former Seraphs had this gate constructed to cut off the Netherworld from Celestia," She explained, "That's why it can only be opened by the residents of Celestia."

"Hmph!" Etna snorted, feeling slighted. "That's not fair."

Flonne stood in directly in front of the mammoth doors.

"Okay, I'm going to open the gate," She called over her shoulders, "Is everybody ready?"

Flonne placed her hands on two runes, and they began to glow. Then, she slowly brought the glow together. The glow grew into a magnificent light, and the doors parted. Without another word, almost hypnotized by the light, the group marched through…

…And found themselves in a land of sunshine, grassy fields, billowy clouds…and Adonis'

"_Bonjour_, everyone," Mid-Boss greeted, bowing. "It is a pleasure to see you here."

"Oh, it's you, Mr. Mid-Boss." Flonne said, smiling. For a moment, she thought there was going to be trouble!

Mid-Boss was lying on a checkered blanket, having a picnic of sorts. He held a half-eaten sandwich in his hand.

Laharl stared at Mid-Boss before looking at Flonne. "Weren't you saying earlier that only Celestians can open this gate?"

"Oh… Um…" Flonne tried to find an explanation, but there was none to be had. "That's strange."

Mid-Boss chuckled. "It has been thousands of years since a demon other than _moi _passed through this gate."

Gordon quickly got it. Pointing a finger of truth, he declared, "Aha! It's all clear to me now! You're an evil henchman who's been hired by the Seraph!" If a demon got through a gate only angels can open, then someone in Celestia must have opened it for him!

Mid-Boss made a short buzzing noise. "Wrong." He said, winking.

Jennifer figured it out. "I know!" She cried, and pointed. "You're an angel in disguise!" That's how he got through the gate, he was only PRETENDING to be a demon!

Mid-Boss buzzed again. "Another wrong answer!" He grinned. "You all have very active imaginations. But I, the Dark Adonis, just happen to be passing by… Nothing more."

Laharl snorted. "Hmph… So, Dark Adonis, why is it that you're in Celestia?"

"I am here to test your resolve." Mid-Boss said calmly, putting his sandwich in the basket.

"What…?"

"From this point on, you will face challenges unlike anything you have experienced before," Mid-Boss explained, packing up his picnic. "Whether or not you can emerge victorious… I would like to see with my own eyes."

Laharl glared. "But, what does that have to do with you?" The Overlord demanded, "Why do you care!? Answer me!"

A smile purple vortex appeared in the air. Mid-Boss casually tossed the basket into it. The vortex vanished.

"Hmhmhm… We have talked long enough," Mid-Boss chuckled, and took a fighting stance. "Show me what you are capable of!"

Laharl didn't even bother to ask. Be now, he was used to Mid-Boss picking fights with him. Taking out the Diabolic Sword, Laharl lunged at Mid-Boss. The Dark Adonis swerved around the demon, and delivered a swift kick to Laharl's jaw. The Overlord didn't back down, and swung a Blazing Knuckle at Mid-Boss. Mid-Boss easily jumped over the charging demon and stepped on his head, squashing him into the ground.

"Thank you for the boost." Mid-Boss laughed.

Leaping away, Mid-Boss then vanished in a flurry of rose petals. Laharl then became the target of a series of blink-and-you'll-miss-it punches and kicks.

"Adonis Blast!" Mid-Boss' voice rang out, and Laharl was ultimately knocked off his feet. Mid-Boss reappeared a few steps away.

"After everything you have been through, those light punches enough to bring you down?" Mid-Boss asked playfully.

"No," Gordon yelled, running at him. "But, this will bring YOU down! Gordon Punch!"

As Gordon moved to deliver his punch, Mid-Boss prepared a punch of his own.

"Adonis Shot!"

The punches connected, and for a moment, seemed to cancel each other out. Then, however, Jennifer leapt over Gordon's head with a flying kick aimed at Mid-Boss. As She and Mid-Boss began to fight, Flonne rushed over to where Laharl was.

"Laharl, are you okay?" She asked.

"I'm fine," Laharl replied irritably, "Now, listen. I want you to…" Laharl quickly whispered something into Flonne's ear. "Got that?"

"Sure. But, what are you going to do?" Flonne asked.

"I'm just gonna go get a gift for Mid-Boss." Laharl chuckled darkly, and leapt into the sky. He soon vanished from sight.

Meanwhile, Mid-Boss separated from Jennifer when he heard the click of Gordon preparing to fire. Leaping away, he parried an attempt to stab him by Etna, kicking her in the jaw.

"You can do better than that," Mid-Boss said, "What are you waiting for?"

Etna pointed past Mid-Boss' shoulder, and fled. Looking, Mid-Boss saw Thursday, with his Robo-Bazooka readied. e. He vanished just as the Bazooka fired, and appeared next to Thursday…or rather, four of him appeared next to Thursday.

"Adonis Fury!"

The four Mid-Boss' unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks onto Thursday, culminating in a blast of purple energy. Afterwards, he jumped up above the group.

"Thursday!" Jennifer cried and rushed to the robot's aid. Floating in the air, Mid-Boss surveyed the party.

"You are not trying hard, I think," He said, "Have my previous defeats led you to believe that _moi_ is simply not someone who is worth the effort? Then, let me show why you are wrong!"

Mid-Boss jumped heavenward, landing on something resembling a crescent moon in space. With all of his power, he forced the crescent-moon-thing towards Celestia.

"Adonic Buster!"

The closer the crescent-moon-thing got to Celestia, the faster it got, and the faster it got, the bigger the explosion would large. And it was.

BOOM!

Mid-Boss, having jumped off at the last minute, looked at the smoke and dust. "Huh? I have won?" He rubbed the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly. "Haha… This is not as I expected, but…"

"But what?"

As the smoke cleared, Mid-Boss saw Flonne standing in the center of the group, the Staff of Sorcery raised and creating a magic shield that covered them all.

"Oh, a forcefield," Mid-Boss noted, surprised. "Very impressive."

"If you thought that was impressive, watch this," Flonne said, before yelling, "Now!"

Gordon fired a shot at Mid-Boss, who could have dodged it, if he wasn't trying to dodge Holy Arrows from Flonne and a Sexy Beam from Etna. And after that barrage, Jennifer ran out from the group and kicked him into the air.

"Star Buster!" She yelled, and punched him in the gut when he landed.

"Oof!" Mid-Boss grunted, feeling the wind being knocked out of him. "Now, that's more like…hmm? Why is it getting so dark all of a sudden?

The reason why it was getting so dark all of a sudden was that Laharl had the same idea Mid-Boss had, only he had it first. The reason why it took so long to pay off was that Laharl was looking for a DECENT piece of space rock, one that was not only big, but capable of surviving a plunge through the atmosphere. Thus, all of Celestia, even little flying creatures in mid-flight, felt the impact.

"Meteor Impact!"

BOOM!!!

After the smoke died down and everyone's ears stopped ringing, Mid-Boss climbed out of the crater. He didn't look too bad, for someone who had a meteor land on him.

"Your teamwork is impressive," Mid-Boss chuckled, "I commend you for having come so far."

"Huh?" Laharl blinked, "Where's the usual pathetic excuse of yours?"

But Mid-Boss seemed to be in a world of his own. "Demons, angels, humans… Rather than learn about each other, they use words such as 'good' and 'evil' to differentiate themselves," He said, "…That is the sad truth."

("Wait… That reminds me of something Master Lamington once said to me…") Flonne thought.

"However, through our battle, you have proved to me…" Mid-Boss continued, "That regardless of our differences, all creatures can become one in spirit. As long as you bare that in mind, I am sure you can overcome any ordeal."

Etna began to fidget. "Uh, Prince… Something is definitely wrong. Mid-Boss is acting all serious!"

Laharl shifted uncomfortably. "Y-yeah! This must be a trap of some sort!" He pointed at Mid-Boss. "Who are you, really!?"

"Hmhmhm…" Mid-Boss chuckled, "As I said, I am the Dark Adonis."

Mid-Boss leapt up, and flew off into the sky. "Farewell! Haaaahahahaha!!"

Laharl stared at Mid-Boss' departing form incredulously. "So… What was that all about?"

Etna shrugged. "Beats me…"

Flonne smiled. "I think Mr. Mid-Boss was trying to encourage us in his own way."

Gordon grinned. "He is a true rival, indeed."

"Oh, the beauty of friendship between rivals…!" Jennifer sighed romatically.

Laharl felt a bead of sweat run down his forehead. "…Were we all listening to the same conversation?"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

The Sacred Altar. An elegant, church-like chamber.

One might loosely refer to it as the throne room for whoever was the Seraph of Celestia, even though there was no throne. The Seraph would stand erect, perhaps showing how serious his role was.

Lamington was meditating when he heard an all-too-familiar voice drift in.

"Master Lamington! Master Lamington, we have an emergency!"

Lamington opened his eyes to see, yes, Vulcanus, rush in.

"What is the matter?" The Seraph asked.

"That traitor Flonne has begun her invasion of Celestia," Vulcanus cried, "Leading a battalion of demons!!"

Lamington closed his eyes. "…The day has finally come."

"We are prepared to intercept the demons!" Vulcanus said, "I will lead the troops myself. With your permission, of course…" He add quickly, as if he just remembered who was in charge."

Lamington opened his eyes and looked down at Vulcanus. "…Very well. I shall leave the matter to you." He raised a finger. "But, I want them captured unharmed. Do you understand?"

Vulcanus stood up straight. "Yes, sir!"

Vulcanus turned and marched out, and as he did, these thoughts went through his head.

("...Captured? Nonsense! I will kill them amidst the confusion! It is only a matter of time before I become a god! And that is when I, Vulcanus, shall establish absolute peace in the universe!")

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

With Flonne leading the way, the party continued on through the heavenly fields of Celestia. The angel land seemed to be the exact opposite of the Netherworld, replacing the almost omnipresent feeling that someone was around the corner waiting for you with a dagger, with an almost omnipresent feeling of peace and tranquility.

Which is why the sudden appearance of a Celestial Host caught everyone by surprise.

"The Celestial Host…!" Flonne gasped.

"Target confirmed," the Angel Soldier said calmly, "Proceeding as ordered."

"Hmph…" Laharl snorted, and glared at the angels. "Are these your fellow Celestians?"

"Yes, but they are full-fledged angels." Flonne replied.

"I don't think they're here to give you a warm welcome back, though." Etna noted. Though the Celestial Host's faces were unreadable, there was an underlying threat in their postures.

"Angel Trainee Flonne," The Angel Soldier said, "By order of Archangel Vulcanus, you are to be executed for treason."

As the angels moved in, Flonne cried, "Wait, please! I haven't committed treason! It's all a misunderstanding! Master Vulcanus is mistaken!"

"Your objections are meaningless," The Angel Soldier replied, "You are a traitor and must be executed."

"Please let me see the Seraph!" Flonne begged, "I know he will straighten everything out!"

"Request denied. We were given no such orders." The Angel Soldier said, "Our orders are to execute Angel Trainee Flonne and all that assist her."

"I beg you!" Flonne persisted, her eyes tearing. "Listen to me…!"

"Flonne, don't waste your breath." Laharl said.

"Yeah," Etna nodded, "These morons haven't listened to a word you said."

"But, I…" Flonne looked back and forth, torn between her friends and her fellow angels. "I can't fight…"

"What happened to all that determination of yours?" Laharl demanded, "If your just gonna give up, then why did you bother to come?"

"Harlie…" Jennifer said, stepping up. "You're being too hard on her…"

"Jennifer's right!" Gordon said, "As a defender, I cannot tolerate such treatment of a lady…"

"…It's okay," Flonne said, "Laharl is right. I thought I had made up my mind…" She looked at the Host. "But, once I faced the reality of the situation, I… No, I can't be like this!" she wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry. I'm alright now! Thank you, Laharl."

Laharl looked away. "Just don't waste my time with any more talk of giving up, or else I'm outta here."

"I understand." Flonne said, smiling. And this time, she really did.

"Hmph…" Laharl unsheathed the Diabolic Sword and pointed it at the Celestial Host. "Then, let's hurry up and kick some angel butt!"

"Okay!" Flonne said, and pulled out the Staff of Sorcery.

The party got into fighting stances, as the Host looked on, unchanging.

"You have demonstrated resistance," The Angel Soldier said, "The use of deadly force is authorized against all opposition."

"Be my guest," Laharl grinned, "Show me what you've got!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

"The battle has begun…"

Lamington looked at his partner. "Our task is nearly complete."

"Yes… We have made them come all this way, without the slightest explanation…"

Lamington allowed himself an ironic smile. "We will surely be punished for our actions."

A chuckle. "I have already received my punishment. But, it is for that reason that the future is now in their hands. I should be thankful."

Lamington was silent for a moment. "…Will they prevail?"

"I don't know… It is all up to them."

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Laharl's gang pushed their way through Celestia, Host or no Host. Any angels that got in their way were quickly overwhelmed by the groups power and teamwork. However, on Flonne's insistence, no one was killed.

"It's not their fault," She had said, "They're only doing what they believe to be right! And we're better than that!"

"We are?" Laharl and Etna asked, but nonetheless, went along with it. For Laharl, this just meant not bothering to strike at vital spots.

Eventually, they came close enough to the Seraphic Sanctuary, where the Seraph resided, to see it in the distance. It was then that Archangel Vulcanus appeared.

"It's been a while, Flonne." Vulcanus grunted.

"Master Vulcanus…!" Flonne cried. Where did he come from?

Etna stared at Vulcanus' angry eyes, his venomous expression, and his thick mustache. "WHAT!? Don't tell me HE'S an angel!"

"You've got to be kidding!" Jennifer cried, "No matter how you look at it, that's the face of a villain!"

Laharl nodded. "True. You look so evil, it's a pity you're an angel."

"Silence!" Vulcanus snapped, "How dare you look at my glorious face and call me a villain!" Glaring at Flonne, he said, "Angel Trainee Flonne! To conspire with with demons to wage war on Celestia is an unspeakable sin! Not only that, but you've harmed innocent angels! You deserve nothing short of death! I, Archangel Vulcanus, shall carry out your sentence!"

"Please, Master Vulcanus!" Flonne cried, "I'm only here with a question for the Seraph!"

"Quiet, traitor!" Vulcanus cut her off, "It disgusts me to even speak to you!!"

"Master Vulcanus! Why?" Flonne demanded, "Why am I a traitor!?"

"Stop pretending to be innocent!" Vulcanus snapped, "We all know that you are conspiring with demons so that you can take over Celestia!" That image of a Flonne-headed demon biker gang appeared in his mind again. "And on top of that, you tricked that stupid Defender of Earth into fighting for your cause! How despicable! It is our responsibility as angels to destroy demons, the root of all evil, and watch over the helpless human race! To renounce your sublime duty and join forces with these foul demons is simply unforgivable!"

Laharl gritted his teeth. "Hey! Who the hell do you think you are!?" He roared, stepping forward. When he got his hands on that angel…!

"Wait…" Flonne said, stepping in front of Laharl. "Please, let me handle this." To Vulcanus, she said, "Master Vulcanus, I pity you."

Vulcanus blanched. "W-what?" He was being…PITIED?!

"You believe that demons are evil, that humans are helpless…and that you alone are right," Flonne said, "But, I know that demons can show kindness...and humans can be brave…! Without seeking proof, you have allowed your judgment to be colored by prejudice," She pointed. "Isn't the evil which you speak of in your own heart, Master Vulcanus!?"

"W-W-W-WHAT!?" Vulcanus cried, his mind spinning at Flonne's accusation.

"Well said, Flonne." Laharl grinned.

"Yeah! You hit it right on the nose!" Jennifer cheered.

"Right on!" Etna smirked.

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP… Thursday beeped, I AM DEEPLY MOVED.

"I see that the defender spirit has awakened in you too!" Gordon declared, "From this day forward, you shall be known as a Defender of Earth!"

By this time, Vulcanus' outrage subsided enough so he could speak again.

"Y-you…!" He sputtered, furious. "Evil in my heart…? Never! I am only doing what is right! And I will prove that to you, here and now! With your death!"

It was at that moment that another Celestial Host appeared.

"Go, soldiers! Kill them all!!" Vulcanus screamed, and vanished in a fizzle of light.

"How like a villain," Gordon growled, "He says he's going to kill us, then leaves it to his henchmen! The coward!"

"Here we go again." Laharl sighed, and pulled out his sword.

"Wait, Harlie," Jennifer said, "Let me try something…"

Jennifer balled her hand into a fist and pulled it back, preparing to punch the air, apparently, as there was nothing within arms reach. She closed her eyes, concentrating, focusing all of her latent energy into a single point.

"Cosmic Arrow!"

Jennifer punched, and a spear of red-ish power burst forth, blasting the Celestial Host.

"Jennifer!" Gordon cried, "When have you been able to do THAT!?"

Jennifer blew on her fist. "Oh, just something I've been working on in my spare time." She winked.

("And that's how we wrote our way out of that one.") Etna thought dryly.

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

The party continued on, encountering more squads of angels. After a while, they were close enough to the Seraphic Sanctuary to see how the building was shaped, if only by looking really, really, hard.

"Something's not right…" Laharl muttered as they walked.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Asked Flonne.

"We've made it this far, but still haven't seen any sign of the Seraph…" Laharl pointed out.

"That's true." Gordon conceded.

"If the Seraph is not involved in any of this," Etna commented, "Then why hasn't he come out and saved Flonne?"

"So," Jennifer began, "you're saying the fact that he hasn't shown up can only mean…" She trailed off as everyone looked at Flonne.

"…I understand your point," Flonne said sadly, "But, I'll believe in Master Lamington until the very end…!"

"…Geez, you're stubborn." Laharl grumbled, giving Flonne a hard look. "Don't tell me it's because of love again..."

"Yes it is, absolutely!" Flonne exclaimed, "To have faith in someone you respect… That's love!"

"What a Love Freak." Laharl sighed.

"Well, I don't trust Seraph myself," Etna remarked, stretching back. "But I guess I can tag along."

"Etna…" Flonne whispered.

"I'll help you Flonne," Jennifer chimed in, "I believe in you."

"Me too!" Gordon declared, "I trust in your love."

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP… I WILL ACCOMPANY YOU, TOO. Thursday announced.

"Miss Jennifer… Mr. Gordon… Mr. Thursday…" Flonne smiled at their trust.

"This is ridiculous," Laharl groaned, "You guys are so naïve."

"Hm? Does that mean you're leaving, Prince?" Etna asked coyly.

"F-fool!" LAharl snapped, turning a smidge red. "How can I turn back now, when I haven't seen the Seraph!? I'll go on, even if it's by myself!"

"Laharl…" Flonne murmured, and thought, ("Everybody, thank you so much… I'm glad that I met all of you. I have harmed my own kind… No matter how this journey ends, I will receive severe punishment… But, I have no regrets… I was able to meet such wonderful companions.")

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

Eventually, after banging heads with more Celestial Hosts, the party were soon close enough to the Seraphic Sanctuary to see the entrance into the building. As they were walking through an ornamental garden, with fountains, ivy, and pillars, Vulcanus appeared before them.

"I'm surprised that you made it this far," Vulcanus grunted, "Not bad… Not bad at all."

Gordon's eyebrow twitched. "Everybody, be careful!" He warned, "Whenever a villain appears and talks like this, there's always a trap!"

"Who are you calling a villain!?" Vulcanus scowled, "Hmph, this will keep your filthy mouth shut!" He raised his hand, and a circle of runes appeared beneath him. "Evil born from the darkness and chaos! Abide by the pact and annihilate my foes!"

A strange aura filled the air…it did not feel Celestian, but something that the party had felt before…

"Demon summoning…!?" Laharl wondered, shocked.

"How can this be?" Flonne asked, just as shocked. "Making a pact with demons is strictly forbidden by our law!"

There was a flash of darkness, and soon several particularly terrible-looking demons had appeared. A Dragon, a Mantacore, a Vampire, a Gargoyle, and a demon that looked like a shark that grew legs and spikes, a Serpent, made up the mob. They all growled ominously.

"Watch out!" Gordon yelled, pulling out his gun. "These aren't ordinary demons!"

"Scan them, Thursday!" Jennifer ordered.

Thursday trundled to the head of the group. BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP… He said, IMMEASURABLE POWER AND ENDURANCE. DANGER DANGER DANGER…!!

"Hmhmhm…!!" Vulcanus sneered, "I have enlisted these greater demons for an occasion such as this! They were eager to sign the contract when I told them that they could have the Netherworld in exchange for your deaths."

"See, Prince?" Etna said, glaring at Laharl. "How many times have I told you to be a better role model for your subjects?"

"Shut up!" Laharl snapped, his eyes turning red. "Now's not the time!!"

"Enjoy fighting your own kind!" Vulcanus grunted gloatingly, "Muhahahaha!"

Vulcanus vanished, leaving the greater demons to glare and smirk at their intended victims.

"Dammit!" Laharl growled, shakily pulling out the Diabolic Sword. "Even I can't take care of this many greater demons…!"

"What's the plan?" Gordon asked, "Should we retreat?"

"You think they'll let us retreat?" Etna asked, noting that the greater demons were now drawing lots to see who would eat who.

"But, what else can we do!?" Jennifer shivered, not liking the way that Vampire was looking at her.

"Come on! I don't recall having friends that lose their cool in front of their adversaries!"

"Who is this!?" Laharl asked, looking around.

Flonne looked behind her and pointed. "Look! Over there!"

Up at the entrance of the garden, under the hedge archway with the words Divine Prison cut into the top, was a green Prinny.

"Hmph…" the Prinny sniffed.

"Your…!!" Laharl made out before his train of thought halted at one curious detail. "…Hey, who the heck is that?"

Etna shrugged. "I dunno."

"I don't think I've seen that Prinny before." Flonne commented.

"Hey! Don't you recognize me!?" The Prinny cried, "These eyes full of hope and resolution!!" He cried, his eyes glinting. "The spirit that burns within me!!" His body gave off a large spark of fire. "And this bold and valiant stature!!" He struck a pose, glowing. "Who else could it be? It is I, Kurtis!"

Gordon stared, flummoxed. "K-Kurtis?" He asked, "…You mean, THAT Kurtis?"

"That's right!" The Prinny declared, "Kurtis, Defender of Earth!"

"But, I thought you were with your family in heaven!" Jennifer cried.

"Heh… That's what I hope for, but I committed too many sins in my lifetime," Kurtis admitted, "I was given a different form to make up for what I did… I have returned to atone for my sins! And to help my precious friends!"

Kurtis leapt from the entrance to the head of the party, putting himself between them and the greater demons.

"Kurtis…" Gordon said, his cheeks twitching.

Jennifer and Etna did their best to restrain their giggles.

Laharl didn't even bother to try. "Haaaahahahaha!!"

"Don't laugh!!" Kurtis wailed, "It's not like I had a choice!!" Of all the ways he could make a comeback, why did it have to be as a PENGUIN!?

"I-I'm sorry," Gordon apologized, wiping away a tear of mirth. "It-it's just that you're so darn cute…"

"I rushed hear, thinking you guys needed me, and this is what I get?" Kurtis asked, insulted. "…Maybe I shouldn't have bothered to come."

"No, Kurtis. I am grateful that you're here," Gordon insisted, "Your words have rekindled the flame in each of our hearts! Right, everyone?"

"Well, he went through all of that just for us," Etna admitted, "We can't give up now, can we?"

"Of course not," Laharl said, nodding. "As King of the Netherworld, I will show these demons who's in charge!"

He nodded at the greater demons, who were wondering why the Overlord's band wasn't so scared of them anymore.

"The power of our friendship is increasing!" Flonne squealed, her eyes burning. "I think we can do it!"

Laharl gave her a weird look. "Uh… Am I supposed to find that reassuring?"

But Flonne was in full Love-Freak mode now. "There is nothing to worry about! Friendship power beats anything!"

"Geez…" Laharl groaned, before glaring at the greater demons. "Anyways, let's do it!"

"Alright!!"

The greater demons could take no more of this. They charged. The Dragon and Serpent's mouths were glowing, indicating bad omens to come.

"Look out!" Kurtis yelled.

The Dragon and Serpent unleashed twin blasts of fire, causing the group the scatter. The battle had begun. As the two mobs mixed it up, both forces appeared to be equally matched. The greater demons, unfortunately, were particularly vicious, and stooped to any means of overcoming victory. The fact that each of them was bigger than Gordon made the battle difficult for the gang.

However, what the gang lacked in size and overwhelming strength, they made up in teamwork. Whenever one party member would be in trouble, another would jump in to help.

"Aaagh!" Jennifer cried as the Vampire got a hold of her.

"Rocket Punch!"

Something fast and shiny blasted into the Vampire's mouth, sending the poor devil flying, causing him to lose his grip on Jennifer. Looking around, Jennifer saw Kurtis, who now had metal gauntlets on his flap-like arms.

"I got to keep my cyborg parts," He explained, "But now I have to install them manually. And that's not all!" Kurtis leapt into the air. "Pringer Beam!"

From Kurtis' mou…er, beak, came a deep red beam of light that carved quite an unseemly scar into the Gargoyle, making it scream in pain.

And so the fight went on. And there's a good chance it might've still gone on to this day were it not for this exchange;

"Dammit!" Laharl grunted, slamming the Diabolic Sword into the Dragon. "If we beat these demons, not only will they kill us, but they'll rule the Netherworld!"

"Who do you think will be the Overlord?" Flonne asked innocently.

The action stopped right then and there. The greater demons had never actually thought about who would actually BE the Overlord when Vulcanus gave it to them, and now the question had been unceremoniously shoved into their brains.

After a moment, the Vampire said, "I'll be the Overlord."

"Why you?" The Serpent asked sharply.

"I look the part, that's why."

"If it was Opera, not Overlord, yeah, sure," The Gargoyle grunted, "I'll be the Overlord."

"You? You could barely lord over a cathedral!" The Dragon snapped, "I'LL be the Overlord!"

"No, I wanna be the Overlord!" the Mantacore protested.

And so it went on. The greater demons bickered. They quarreled. They called each other names and made rude remarks about their mothers, and so forth. All the while, Laharl's group watched on in bewilderment.

"Uhh, Prince?" Etna said, "Shouldn't we, I dunno, attack?"

"Um, right," Laharl said awkwardly, "Let's get them! Overlord's Wrath!"

"Holy Arrows!"

"Sexy Beam!"

"Cosmic Arrow!"

"Bullet Storm!"

ROBO-BAZOOKA!

"Nuclear Fission!"

The attacks struck the greater demons, whose argument by now devolved into a battle royal wrestling match, with such force that they were incinerated instantly.

"Hahahahaha!" Gordon laughed, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Yeah, sure," Kurtis said, rolling his eyes. "You were about to run away when I got here."

"I-I only suggested a temporary, strategic retreat!" Gordon protested, "That's totally different from running away!"

"Now, now," Flonne cut in gently, "Let's just say that the power of our friendship brought us victory."

"This conversation's going nowhere," Laharl grumbled, "Let's move on."

"Right. We still have that villain to defeat!" Jennifer agreed.

Etna pointed to the building ahead. "What's up ahead, Flonne?"

"Let's see…" Flonne said, "We're about to enter the Seraphic Sanctuary. Besides Master Lamington, only sentries and high-ranking angels are allowed inside."

"Hm… Sounds interesting." Laharl grinned. Maybe these 'high-ranking angels' would be more fun to fight than the earlier Celestial Hosts.

"Please, stay alert," Flonne told him, "There's no telling what Master Lamington might do at this point."

"There's no need to be concerned," Laharl said, brushing her off. "Who do you think I am? I am Laharl, the Overlord!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

The party entered the Sanctuary with no trouble. Inside, they gazed at the elegant surroundings as they moved down the halls.

"Hmph. So, this is where the Seraph lives," Enta mused, "I don't see anything of value… Too bad."

Laharl gave Etna a look. "What was your reason for coming…?"

"Shh!" Flonne hissed, "Quiet!"

Everyone tensed, and three angels appeared before them. For some reason, the air around them rippled…

"This is the Seraphic Sanctuary…" The angel in front said, "Those without permission to be here must leave the premises immediately…"

"Who are they!?" Kurtis asked, shocked at their sudden arrival.

"These are the angelic sentries…" Flonne explained, "They will guard the Seraph at any cost. They are protected by a special force field, which is impervious to all forms of attack."

"That can't be…!" Jennifer cried, "It must have a weakness!" She pointed. "Analyze the force field, Thursday!"

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP… Thursday beeped, scanning. ANALYZING FORCE FIELD… 20%... 55%... 90%... There was a ding. ANALYSIS COMPLETED. IT HAS NO WEAKNESS. INVINCEBLE INVINCEBLE INVINCEBLE…

"What!? That's not fair!" Gordon groaned.

"Hmph… It doesn't matter if there's a weakness or not," Laharl scoffed, "All we gotta do is blast them away with our power," He looked to Etna and said, "Etna! We'll show these angels what we think of their force fields!!"

"Okay, Prince!" Etna grinned.

The two demons glowed purple, and fired a giant fireball at the sentries…

…SHING…

…Who did not react in the slightest.

"That had no effect!?" Laharl cried, his jaw dropping. "Impossible!"

"Hahahahahaha!" Gordon laughed, "Seems like it's a bit too much for you! Now, it's our turn!!"

Gordon, Jennifer, and Thursday quickly stepped to the head of the group.

"Jennifer! Thursday! Let's show them how it's done!" Gordon declared.

"Okay, Gordon!" Jennifer cried.

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP… ROGER, CAPTAIN. Thursday beeped.

"Ultimate Defender Formation: Space Triangle!"

The three Defenders glowed, and released waves of energy that converged onto a single point…

…SHING…

…That was halted by the force field.

"Our formation attack isn't powerful enough, either…!?" Gordon murmured, flummoxed. But that move ALWAYS works!

"Are they truly invincible!?" Jennifer wondered in alarm.

Kurtis stepped up and said then, "It's time to give up yet! Don't forget that you have ME on your side!"

Kurtis jumped into position with the other Defenders.

"Let's combine our defender spirit together!" The Prinny insisted.

"True ultimate defender formation: Plasma Quartet!!"

The Defenders glowed, and a pulsing beam of light struck…

…SHING…

…And did no damage.

"You've gotta be kidding me…!" Kurtis gaped, "It didn't even make a scratch!"

The group stared at the sentries, at a loss for what they should do… For what they COULD do…

"No!" Flonne cried, "Attack separately won't do any good! We must ALL unite our hearts!!"

Laharl looked at Flonne as if she had grown a second head. "Unite our hearts…?"

"That's right!" Flonne continued, on a roll. "Whether we're angels, demons, or humans, we all share the same feelings!! And if we focus those feelings together, we can accomplish anything!!"

"…How can you say something like that with a straight face?" Laharl asked, incredulous.

"Laharl!"

"Alright, alright," Laharl sighed, "So the point is, we all attack at the same time, right?"

The party joined together, forming a group of two rows of three, with Flonne in front.

"Then, let's do it," Laharl said, "On the count of three… One, two, three!"

Laharl began to glow. "Haaaaaaaaahhh!!"

As did Etna. "Yaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!"

And Gordon. "Nuoooooaaahhhh!!"

And Jennifer. "Aaaaaaaaaahhhh!!"

Thursday. BEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEP!!

Kurtis. "Woaaaaaaaahhhh!!"

Flonne glowed and cried, "Now, let our love and friendship unite!!"

"GALAXY OMEGA STAR!!!!!"

The power of angels, demons, and humans merged and morphed, becoming a giant colossus that brought its mighty fist down on the sentries…

…SH-KRRRACK!

Shattering it! The sentries fell back, acting as if they were brought out a great dream. The tranquility of the hall suddenly broke…

"Yes!" Gordon cried, pumping his arm. "We've destroyed the force field!"

"We did it!" Jennifer cheered.

But Laharl was giving Flonne a look. "…Hey, Flonne. Did I hear something about love and friendship just now?"

Flonne returned his look with her own. "Yes, you did. So, what about it?"

"Whaddya mean, 'What about it'?" Laharl griped, "I keep telling you that I don't feel stuff like that!"

"Think whatever you want, Laharl." Flonne giggled.

"What did you say!?" Laharl growled.

"Uh, Prince…" Etna cut in awkwardly, "Now that their force field is down, isn't now our chance?"

"Yeah…but…" Laharl looked from the trio of stunned angels to the cute one next to him. "…We'll continue this discussion later!" He snapped at Flonne. "Don't forget!"

"Okay, okay." Flonne sighed, thinking, ("He hasn't gotten any less stubborn, that's for sure… Oh well…")

Meanwhile, the sentries had gotten over their initial shock at the loss of their force field, and had now drawn their weapons. And while sentries were much stronger than normal Celestian angels, there was one thing that Laharl's gang over the angels. Namely, there were only three sentries to the seven members of Laharl's posse.

"Let's go!" Laharl yelled, and he and the party ran down the hall, leaving three pummeled-senseless sentries lying on the ground. The last thing they heard before slipping into dreamland was Laharl saying, "And I don't love!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

When the group arrived at the Hall of Justice, a crossroads for the Seraphic Sanctuary's corridors, they once again came face-to-face with the Archangel.

"Master Vulcanus…" Flonne whispered sadly.

"Because you were just a trainee, I underestimated you," Vulcanus said, glaring. "But now that you've defeated greater demons, as well as angelic sentries… I must recognize your strength."

Laharl raised an eyebrow. "What's going on? He got so serious all of a sudden. Did he hit his head or something?"

"Beats me," Etna shrugged, "These angels… You never know what they're thinkin'."

"Um… Were you referring to me too?" Flonne asked, unsure.

"Of course I was!" Etna said, grinning cheekily.

"SILENCE!" Vulcanus snapped, "Where are your manners!? Don't you wish to know my true purpose!?"

"Your purpose…? Hmph!" Kurtis said, "I bet it's just some selfish fantasy!"

"No, if he thought it was necessary to involve the Earth and humankind," Gordon said, "then it must be something really important!"

Vulcanus smiled, though it was an unpleasant one. "You are correct! My goal is noble, indeed! To become the absolute ruler of the entire universe!"

Everyone stared at the beaming unpleasantly Vulcanus.

"Absolute ruler?" Laharl asked.

"Gee, I'm disappointed," Etna sighed, "Like Kurtis said, you're just fulfilling a selfish fantasy."

"No! It is not for my own benefit!" Vulcanus snapped, "Peace can only be established in the universe under the watchful eye of an omnipotent ruler!!"

"Master Vulcanus… That is your goal…?" Flonne asked sadly, "But, peace is not something that can achieved by one individual… It is only possible when everybody joins hands and works together."

"You are too naïve, Flonne!" Vulcanus snarled, "Such a pacifistic approach is doomed to fail because of these deceitful demons and foolish humans!"

"That's not true!" Flonne insisted, "Demons and humans are capable of…"

"Silence!" Vulcanus roared, "What do you know about them!?" Calming down, he said, "…I am all to aware! Their cruelty… Their vileness in their hearts…!!"

"Master Vulcanus…" Flonne said, shaken at the venom in the Archangel's tone.

"He's not gonna listen to you, Flonne." Etna told her.

"Well, maybe he'll be a bit more submissive with a little physical persuasion." Laharl said, pulling at the Diabolic Sword.

"Uh… Prince," Etna commented, raising an eyebrow. "I hope you didn't mean it THAT way…"

"The time has come!" Vulcanus declared, cutting Etna off. "I will eliminate you, and deal with the Seraph next! And then, I will be a god! From this day forth, I will be known as Vulcanus, the Peacebringer!!"

Vulcanus was about to laugh victoriously when he realized two things. 1) He was outnumbered, and 2) they all had weapons, while he didn't. With that in mind, he did what would be considered sensible in those circumstances.

"Guards! I've found them!" He yelled, and soon the Hall was filled with about twenty angels, all armed with swords, axes, and staffs.

"There they are!" Vulcanus cried, pointing at the group, "Get them!" And with that, he made a run for it, making a dash at a nearby stairway.

"You're not getting away that easily!" Laharl yelled, and jumped over the angels, using their heads as stepping stones.

"Wait for me!" Flonne cried, and followed after him.

"Don't let them escape!" The leading angel, the Crusader, ordered, but felt something hot brush his shoulder. Turning around, he saw the rest of Laharl's group glaring at them with weapons drawn.

"WE'RE you're problem, boys." Etna grinned evilly, pointing the Vile Brilliance. Holding up a a free, GLOWING hand, she yelled, "Chaos Impact!" and threw a flurry of purple fireballs, followed by a huge ball of fire.

Meanwhile, Laharl and Flonne cornered Vulcanus at the landing the stairway led to.

"We've got you, Vulcanus!" Laharl crowed, pointing his sword at the Archangel.

"On the contrary," Vulcanus grunted, "I've got you! Let's see how tough you are without your minions backing you up!" Pointing a hand at the pair, he called out, "Divine Anger!" and unleashed a blast of fire. Laharl quickly shoved Flonne out of the way, taking the flames alone.

"Hahaha!" He laughed victoriously, "How do like that!?"

"Laharl!" Flonne cried, alarmed. Glaring at Vulcanus, she cried, "Holy Arrows!"

"Ow!" Vulcanus grunted as the white feathers hit him. "So, you dare strike against me, your Archangel?! I knew you were beyond redemption, but this proves it!"

"Like YOU'RE any better," Laharl's voice drifted out from the smoke.

"What!?" Vulcanus cried, looking. Laharl stood right where he was, with only a few minor burns on him.

"Laharl, are you okay?" Flonne asked worriedly.

"Just fine," Laharl shrugged, "Those flames did sting a little, but nothing I can't handle."

"Y-you…!" Vulcanus shook with rage at Laharl's nonchalance.

"Hey, mustache!" Laharl said, "Don't forget, you're not just fighting a demon and an angel… You're fighting the Overlord and his vassal!" He charged at Vulcanus, swinging the Diabolic Sword. "Blade Rush!"

"Arrgh!" Vulcanus grunted as the Sword cut into him.

Downstairs, the fight between the rest of Laharl's gang and the angel force continued.

"Terminus Omega!" Jennifer cried, and slammed an angel against the wall. Then, forcing him up, she threw him down onto the ground before slamming a fearsome punch down onto his stomach. The angel didn't get up.

ROBO-CRUSH! Thursday slapped one angel with his claws before repeatedly spinning into him.

"Gordon Punch!" Gordon cried, slamming a powerful punch into an angel, causing him to flying into another angel.

"Final Punch!" Kurtis fired gauntlet after gauntlet at the angels.

Etna was busy putting the Vile Brilliance to good use when a very evil idea occurred to her. "Prinny Raid!"

Kurtis then found himself being pulled into the air by some evil power.

"Hey- What's- Oh no- Wait- Don't!" Kurtis wailed as he rocketed toward a pair of angels.

BOOM!

"Hahaha! Direct hit!" Etna crowed.

"You're…so evil…" Kurtis moaned.

Back up the stairs, Vulcanus was having no end of trouble fighting Laharl and Flonne. Neither of them refused to sit still, and every time he managed to get one, the other would attack while he was distracted! And what was worse, Flonne kept healing any wounds she and Laharl received!

("This has to stop…") Vulcanus thought angrily, and began to fly upwards with his great wings. Gathering up a vast amount of energy, his hands began to crackle with blue electricity.

"Holy Lightning!!" he screamed, releasing GIANT bolts of lightning from his hands. When the dust settled, neither Flonne nor Laharl could be seen.

"At last…" Vulcanus sighed, returning to the floor. "Now, to deal with the rest of them!"

"Why? Getting bored with us?" A smarmy voice asked from behind.

Horrified, Vulcanus slowly turned around, and saw Laharl and Flonne glaring at him.

"He's yours." Laharl said to Flonne.

"Thank you." Flonne replied, and began to fly upwards, her wings increasing in size. "Divine Ray!!"

"ARRRRRRGGHH!!" Vulcanus roared in pain when the pure white beam hit him. The Archangel was knocked off his feet, and tumbled down the stairs, where he landed among the prone forms of angels.

"H-how can this be…!?" Vulcanus groaned, trying to get up. "My goal! My duty! My dream! They've all be shattered by these heathens!!"

"Have you still not realized it, Master Vulcanus?" Flonne asked as she and Laharl came down the stairs. "You wanted to bring peace to the universe, regardless of the means… Even if you had succeeded, could you call it true peace?"

Flonne and Laharl rejoined the group.

"Please consider us as an example, Master Vulcanus," She said, "We have worked together to come this far, with our hearts united as one. Can this not be considered the first step towards peace?"

There was a pause as Vulcanus glared at the collection of Celestians, Netherworlders, and Earthlings.

"…Ha! Enough of your idealistic ramblings!" Vulcanus spat, "You thought your misguided words would convince me to repent? My beliefs cannot be shaken so easily! The game's not over yet! I'll just convince the Seraph to finish the job for me! You and he can kill each other!!"

With a "Muhahahahaha!!" Vulcanus vanished in a shimmer of light.

"Drat, we let him escape!" Gordon cursed, "Any normal villain would have been moved to tears by those words and begged for forgiveness."

"He's conviction is strong," Laharl noted, "He won't change his mind so easily."

"He intends to start a fight between us and the Seraph." Kurtis pointed out.

"He'll probably make us look like the bad guys and tell the Seraph some horrible lie." Jennifer realized.

"How does he come up with all these dirty tricks?" Etna lamented, "It's really too bad that he's an angel."

Etna remembered hearing a demon complain on how Celestians had all the 'really good stuff'. Now she knew what that meant. Celestia had a much higher quality of villain. Meanwhile, the Netherworld was stuck with clowns like Hoggmeiser and Maderas.

"Well, it looks like a battle with the Seraph is inevitable." Laharl remarked. He looked aside. "Are you ready for it, Flonne?"

Flonne didn't answer at first. Then she clenched her fist. "…Yes! I don't know exactly what will happen, but I must tell Master Lammington everything that's on my mind," She looked heavenward. "I know he'll understand!"

"…I see," Laharl grinned, "Then, tell him straight to his face!"

Flonne smiled back at Laharl. "I will!"

**D-I-S-G-A-E-A**

After a long and uneventful walk, the party came upon a large set of doors. These doors looked more like a jeweled mural with hinges than an actual entryway.

"This is the Seraph's personal chamber," Flonne whispered, "We call it the Sacred Altar. Is everybody ready?"

"Ready."

"Anytime."

"I'm all set."

"I can feel my heart pounding."

BEEP BEEP BLIP BEEP…SYSTEM FUNCTIONING AT 100%. THURSDAY IS GOOD TO GO.

"Come on, let's do it."

"Okay," Flonne exhaled, "Here we go…!"

Flonne tapped onto the doors, and they opened with a flash of light…

…And the party was in the room. Across the room was Vulcanus, and…

"Master Lamington!" Flonne cried.

"Flonne…" The Seraph said. It was not so much a greeting as it was an acknowledgement of her being there.

"M-master Lamington!" Vulcanus said quickly, "She is a traitor who has come to take over Celestia with her abominable troop of demons!"

"Stop lying," Laharl said shortly, "You're the one who's planning to take over the entire universe."

"S-silence, demon!!" Vulcanus sputtered, he's face going red.

Lamington paid no notice of the dialogue. Instead, he was looking at Laharl with vague amounts of interest.

"Hmm… So, you are a demon?" He asked.

"Not just an ordinary demon," Laharl said, thrusting out his chest. "I am Laharl, King of the Netherworld!"

"You are the son of Krichevskoy…" Lamington noted, "I see…" He looked to the Angel Trainee. "Flonne."

Flonne stepped forward. "Yes, Master Lamington."

"Is it true that you are here with these demons to take over Celestia?" Lamington asked.

"No, I have come to ask you a question." Flonne answered.

"A question, you say?"

"Yes," Flonne nodded, "A few days ago, the Earth Defense Force led an invasion on the Netherworld. It was fortunate that it failed, but I discovered that angels were involved in the invasion."

Lamington said nothing. He just stood there, waiting.

"Please, answer me!" Flonne cried, "Were you behind this, Master Lamington!?"

Vulcanus quickly jumped between the two.

"M-master Lamington!" He jibbered, "Do not be fooled by her words! All that she has said is a lie! Angels using humans to invade the Netherworld!? That is simply absurd!!"

"It's not a lie!" Flonne shouted, "I saw it with my own eyes! Without a doubt, they were angels!"

"You are mistaken!" Vulcanus shouted back, "The demons must have tricked you!!"

Flonne glanced at Laharl and Etna. "While it is true that demons are aggressive by nature, they do not hurt others without reason! My friends here have convinced me of that!"

Then, Lamington chuckled. "This is quite unusual, Flonne. You, a Celestian, refer to demons as friends and defend their behavior?"

Flonne looked back at the Seraph. "Master Lamington. At your request, I went to the Netherworld and there I met Laharl and my other friends. Demons may not be perceived as good. As a matter of fact, they are rather selfish, rude, and cynical."

"Hey!" Laharl yelled, but was stopped from saying more by Etna.

"But…!" Flonne continued without missing a beat, "But, I have also discovered that they have love and kindness in their hearts. Master Lamington, I remember you telling me…" She took a deep breath. "…That there is no such thing as absolute evil, that even demons have love. As I spent time in the Netherworld, I came to realize that you were right. It also occurred to me that perhaps we Celestians have judged demons too harshly."

Etna nodded. "Yep. Especially this Vulcanus guy."

"H-how dare you!" Vulcanus yelled, his mustache beginning to steam up from anger.

"…Flonne, I see that you have learned many things in the Netherworld," Lamington said, ignoring the side-comments.

"Master Lamington…" Flonne whispered.

"You are not mistaken." Lamington said calmly.

Vulcanus blanched. "Wh-what!?" He cried, his face going white.

"It is true that Celestians have been blinded by predjudice," Lamington said, "Refusing to try and understand our cultural differences, they instead chose to label demons as 'evil'… They convinced themselves that they were the avatars of absolute good, and branded demons as absolute evil. Vulcanus' choices have been the result of such misconceptions, and his concern for the future. I should have been more mindful of these things."

"Master Lamington…!" Vulcanus cried, shivering. What did the Seraph know about 'his choices'?

Lamington gave Vulcanus a cool look. "Did you think I was oblivious to your actions, Vulcanus?" The Seraph asked, "I am well informed of all that has transpired."

"Ugh…!!" Vulcanus gulped, and backed away from the Seraph. Whirling around, he made a dash for the door. He could not teleport with Lamington's power upon him, but if he just got out of the room in time…!

FLASH!

Then, there was a red, drooping flower where Vulcanus once was. Laharl's gang stared.

"Angel Trainee Flonne."

Slowly, the gang turned back to Lamington. Flonne nervously stepped forward.

"Yes." She said. This was it.

"You have helped save the Netherworld from the invasion of the Earth Defense Force, and thwarted the plans of Archangel Vulcanus," Lamington said, "However, the fact remains that you have harmed other angels. You are to be punished for your sin."

"…I understand," Flonne said, bowing her head. "I am prepared to accept any punishment."

"Wait a minute!" Laharl yelled, running up to Flonne. "Why does Flonne have to be punished!?

"It makes no sense whatsoever!" Gordon cried, "She only did what was right!"

"Don't you dare lay a finger on her!" Etna hissed, pointing the Vile Brilliance at Lamington. "You'll be sorry if you do!!"

Flonne turned and smiled at her friends. "It's alright… I knew there would be consequences for my actions."

"Flonne…!" Laharl began, but stopped. Why was his heart twisting so much?

Turning back to the Seraph, Flonne said, "Master Lamington, I have one final request. I beg of you to forgive my companions. It is I who drew them into all of this."

"This is crazy, Flonne!" Laharl cried, grabbing the angel's shoulder. "Why should you be punished!? You've done nothing wrong!!"

"…Very well. I will pardon their sins." Lamington said.

Flonne bowed. "I am grateful for your kindness."

"Flonne…" Laharl said, shocked. She was grateful? She was going to be punished for such a stupid reason, and she was grateful for their safety? They hurt more angels than she did!

Flonne turned and faced Laharl. "Thank you Laharl," She said, "I knew I could trust in you. You've taught me that demons do have love in their hearts."

"This doesn't make any sense to me!" Laharl shouted, now sounding frantic. "We're done here, aren't we!? Let's go back to the Netherworld!"

But Flonne wasn't listening. Instead, she held out a familiar object in her hand.

"Laharl…" She said, "I want you to have this pendant."

Laharl stepped back when he saw it. "S-stop! That's…!!"

"_Laharl…!" Flonne could barely contain her glee at seeing the Prince, rushing up to him._

_Laharl quickly turned his head away from the angel. "Hurry up and take it," He ordered, "My hand is burning."_

_Flonne jumped. She had forgotten about that!_

"_O-okay!" Flonne quickly snatched the pendant, and hung it around her neck._

_Laharl, still not facing Flonne, smiled. "The pendant is telling me that my heart is wicked," He remarked, "That's good to know."_

"That's the pendant we had to look for!" Laharl cried, backing away. "You want it to burn me again!?"

But Flonne was too quick. She slipped the pendant's chain over Laharl's neck in one fluid motion.

"Aaaaaaaaagh!!" Laharl cried in pain- and then stopped. "…Huh?" He tapped the pendant as it rested against his bare chest. "…Hey, something's wrong. It's not doing anything…"

Flonne giggled. "Just as I thought."

"…Whaddya mean?" Laharl asked suspiciously.

"The wickedness has faded from your heart, Laharl," Flonne explained, "That's why the pendant isn't punishing you anymore."

"What!?" Laharl blanched, "That can't possibly be right! I'm a demon! The Overlord!!"

Flonne stepped back to better look at Laharl.

"I'm so glad…" She said, "I can say good-bye without any worries now."

As Flonne walked up to the Seraph, Etna said, "Good-bye…? Flonne…!"

"Hey… Where do you think you're going?" Laharl demanded with whatever ego he had left.

"Good-bye, Laharl," Flonne said, smiling. "I hope you become a magnificent Overlord." Bowing to the others, she said, "Good-bye, everyone. Thank you so much for everything."

"Wait! Flonne!!" Laharl cried out.

"Good-bye…" Flonne said…

FLASH!

…And then there was a white flower where she stood.

"Flonne…" Etna whispered, "Why…!?"

Laharl stared stonily at the white flower.

"The existence of Angel Trainee Flonne has been erased, along with her sins…" Lamington announced.

Laharl continued to stare at the flower. "Flonne…" He fell to his knees and began to crawl up to the flower. "Hey, Flonne… What are you doing…? I didn't say you could do this…!" His mind reeled back to the what used to be the saddest day of his life. "You're going to abandon me? Like my mother did? I didn't give you permission!" He stood up and clutched his heart angrily. "Is this what you call love!? If it is, then I'll never believe in love! Ever!!"

"Prince…" Etna realized that it was that day all over again. When the Queen died...

The Seraph looked down at Laharl and asked, "King Laharl, do you despise me?"

"Despise you...!?" Laharl asked, his voice filled with venom. Looking up at the Seraph, the Overlord screamed, "Of course I do, you bastard!!" Then, his eyes turned red, and a blood-red aura began to emit from his body. "…Kill you… I'll kill you!!"

With a primal scream, Laharl leapt at Lamington.

("This is my punishment…") Laminton thought in the seconds before impact. "I willingly except it.")

There was a thunderous crash as Laharl smashed Lamington into the floor, and began to punch Lamington repeatedly. The Seraph didn't even flinch.

And that just made Laharl even angrier. He leapt into the air and slammed a Burning Knuckle into the Seraph's chest. When that yielded no response, no satisfying sound of pain and agony, Laharl brought out the Diabolic Sword. One chop and Lamington would be gone forever…just like Flonne.

…Flonne…

In the reflection of the blade, Laharl saw the flower.

"…What's the matter, Prince?" Etna asked, concerned. Was Laharl thinking of an even MORE terrible way of finishing off Lamington?

Laharl threw the Sword away. "…I've had enough of this," He said bitterly, "It's not like this will bring her back…" he looked down at the white flower. "…Besides, if that Love Freak was here, she would've stopped me anyway…"

"Prince…" Etna sighed. Now she knew why Laharl stopped.

As Laharl gazed down at the white flower, he felt something wet run down his cheek. Tasting it, he realized that it was salty.

"What is this…?" He wondered, "A tear…?" He stared at the flower some more. "…Hmph. I never knew I could shed tears…"

Laharl's gaze never left the white flower. Then, he turned to Etna.

"Etna." He commanded, in a tone that had neither hatred nor sadness.

"Yes?" Etna asked, stepping forward. Any other day she would have given him some grief, but she knew that today wasn't it.

"…I leave the rest to you." Laharl said calmly.

"P-prince…?" Etna stared at the Overlord. What was he talking about? What rest?

"What are you planning on doing!?" Gordon asked.

A thought occurred to Etna. "You're not planning on…!?"

"I think I finally understand why my mother sacrificed herself to save me…" Laharl said.

"You want to exchange your life for hers!?" Kurtis asked, amazed. "Is that even possible…?"

"…Who knows," Laharl sighed, looking back at the flower. "But, this is the least I can do for her now…"

"Harlie…!" Jennifer gasped.

"…Farewell." Laharl said.

"Prince!!" Etna cried out, rushing forward.

"Haaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!" Laharl screamed, building up his power. If there was a true god in this world, or any world, than please, let this life bring back hers…!

"Wait!!" Mid-Boss cried, leaping out from the shadows.

"What do you want now?" Laharl demanded, not bothering to ask how Mid-Boss entered the Sanctuary. "As you can see, I'm busy. We'll call this your victory, so don't bother me."

Mid-Boss strode up to Laharl and said, "I am glad that you have come to terms with your mother's decision. You should thank you companions for teaching you the importance of love and friendship."

"…What?" Laharl asked, turning to face the Dark Adonis. Mid-Boss' voice sounded different.

"Do not throw away the life that your mother gave you," Mid-Boss told him. He gestured. "Here… Look."

Laharl and company looked at where Mid-Boss was gesturing. They realized that the white flower was now glowing, and when the glow subsided, it was no longer a flower, but…

"Flonne…!!" Laharl gasped.

The angel looked around, confused. "…Huh? Where am I…?" she asked, "I was supposed to be punished, and…"

"Indeed you were," Mid-Boss said, "You are no longer an Angel Trainee. Now, you are a Fallen Angel."

It was then that everyone noticed that there was something odd about Flonne.

"What the…!?" Laharl gaped at Flonne's appearance.

"Flonne, you're wings…!" Etna cried, pointing.

Flonne looked. Her white wings were now red bat wings! She had a devil's tail! She was wearing a red leotard under her white coat! She felt inside her mouth. There was a fang in there! And her eyes, she realized, were now red! She felt the top of her head, and realized that her ribbon was like a pair of bunny-ears.

"I'm, I'm…!?" Flonne gasped, looking at herself.

"Hmhmhm…" Mid-Boss chuckled, "That is the punishment she received from Seraph Lamington."

"What!?" Cried Laharl, "Then, he wasn't going to kill her in the first place?"

"Of course not," Mid-Boss said, "She is a very important person…not only to Celestia, but to the Netherworld as well."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Laharl asked.

"Celestia and the Netherworld were not always in opposition," Mid-Boss explained, "Seraph Lamingotn and another person of influence dreamed of uniting them. He sent Angel Trainee Flonne to the Netherworld, to begin bridging the gap between the two worlds. Laharl, Flonne… You are the knot that binds the two worlds together."

"We're the knot…?" Laharl murmured, confused. What did that mean?

"Hmhmhm…" Mid-Boss chuckled, turning around. "I am sure that one day you will understand."

Laharl stared at Mid-Boss' back. "Tell me… Who are you really? Why do you know so much?"

"Hmhmhm… Have I not told you before?" Mid-Bos asked, facing Laharl. "I am the Dark Adonis. My presence here is merely a coincidence…"

Then, a ball of light floated down from above. It landed next to Mid-Boss, becoming Laharl's mother. The trio gaped at this.

"Become a magnificent Overlord, Laharl…" Mid-Boss said.

"…Hmph," Laharl snorted, crossing his arms. "You don't have to tell me. I'll build a legacy even greater than my old man's!"

Mid-Boss chuckled. "Farewell!"

Mid-Boss took the Queen's hand, and the two of them floated up into the heavens above. Laharl stared, and waved slowly. He then realized that Flonne was holding his hand. And, as it turned out, he liked it.

On the floor, Lamington smiled a serene smile.

_Good-bye… King Krichevskoy._

Final Episode

What Lies Beyond the Battle

-DISGAEA-

Hour of Darkness

**End**

A/n: And that's it! It's over! We're done! What? You want to know what happened to the big battle between Laharl and Lamington? Well, since the Seraph acknowledge that he deserved something for all the hell he put Laharl and company through, I felt him fighting back would be silly.

I want to thank everyone who wrote their reviews, thus keeping me motivated.

Oh, and I won't be writing Disgaea 2 or 3. I don't have those games, and you can watch the cut scenes online. I won't say where.

What? You want to know where are they now? Fine, here you go!

Epilogue

Where Are They Now?

**Overlord Laharl and Seraph Lamington parted on good company. Laharl, upset as he was for the scare, appreciates a good joke as much as the next demon, and warned Lamington to never do it again, or else. Lamington took Laharl's threat lightly, asking him to take good care of Flonne.**

**In the Netherworld, Flonne set up a school for love, hoping to teach other demons the values of compassion and friendship. She is currently having trouble dealing with problem-students Vulcanus and Carter.**

**Etna set up a school of her own, teaching young demons how to be more like her. According to the latest press release, she is NOT building an army with which to overthrow Laharl.**

**Following the return from Celestia, Captain Gordon, Jennifer, and Thursday were allowed to return to Earth, where they hope to find away to save the human race. **

**Kurtis remained behind in the Netherworld, where he is awaiting the next red moon.**

**As for Laharl, he is enjoying being the Overlord, and is eagerly looking for more 'posers' to defeat and enslave. But he never gave back that pendant…**

…**The End**


End file.
